Articles by author: Brock University

• Steel Blade Classic to mark 60 years of Brock men’s hockey

  Wednesday, August 06, 2025 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE – AUGUST 6, 2025 – R0088

  The Brock University men’s hockey team will open its 60th season under the bright lights of the Meridian Centre on Friday, Sept. 19.

  The Steel Blade Classic, a Brock Homecoming tradition now in its 26th year, annually draws thousands of fans to downtown St. Catharines for an unforgettable night of hockey and community pride.

  The Badgers will face off against long-time rivals the Guelph Gryphons when the puck drops at 7 p.m.

  “As we celebrate 60 years of Brock men’s hockey, this game represents more than just a new season. It’s a tribute to decades of student-athletes, coaches and fans who’ve helped shape our program,” said Brock Sports Associate Director Courtney Smith. “The Steel Blade Classic showcases everything that makes Brock hockey special: exceptional talent and our deep ties to the Niagara community.”

  What began in 1999 as a spirited match has evolved into a major spectacle for alumni, students and community members to rally behind the Badgers.

  “The crowd creates a powerful atmosphere that’s truly unmatched,” said Brock men’s hockey coach TJ Manastersky. “There’s nothing quite like hearing the roar of thousands of fans as the team takes the ice. It’s a celebration of Brock, hockey and a legacy that continues to grow.”

  This year, the ceremonial puck drop will feature Brock President and Vice-Chancellor Lesley Rigg along with former members of the Brock men’s hockey program who will return to celebrate the team’s milestone year.

  Tickets for Steel Blade are available now at Ticketmaster for $35, with $1 from every student ticket supporting Brock’s Food First Program, which helps students facing food insecurity.

  Alumni VIP ticket holders will enjoy an exclusive vantage point from the Meridian Centre’s fourth-floor lounge, featuring private bar service and complimentary stadium-style fare.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews: 

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases

• Brock experts weigh in on trial of former Hockey Canada players

  Monday, July 28, 2025 | By Brock University

  EXPERT ADVISORY – JULY 28, 2025 – R0087

  While the sexual assault trial involving five former Hockey Canada players concluded with a not guilty verdict, the case will have far-reaching implications for the hockey community and wider society, say Brock University experts.

  “While the verdict marked the end of the legal proceedings, the case itself reignited widespread scrutiny of hockey’s institutional values and the environments that elite players are socialized into,” says Assistant Professor of Sport Management Taylor McKee. “The outcome of the trial does not erase the cultural concerns that were brought to the surface, particularly around power, accountability and silence within hockey’s most protected spaces.”

  McKee says an instinctive response for Hockey Canada would be to examine ways of “fixing” the problem by implementing training programs or other measures to prevent future sexual violence committed by hockey players.

  But the actions of the players in question, including text messages they sent to each other discussing what to say to investigators about the night’s events, suggest they knew what they did was wrong, he says.

  “There’s no seminar on the books in the world that is going to fix attitudes towards young women that these guys clearly had,” says McKee.

  Hockey Canada, he says, instead needs to hold the whole team accountable for the actions of its players. This could be through sanctions, for example, which include team suspensions and collective punishment doled out by teams and Hockey Canada.

  On a broader societal level, the case also highlights issues surrounding victim testimony and court procedures.

  While Criminologist Voula Marinos also says the verdict shouldn’t negate issues concerning sexual violence and power imbalances within and outside of sport, there are explicit legal requirements to be met when trying a charge of sexual assault.

  Marinos says the burden of proof is on the Crown, rather than the defence, to prove that the complainant, E.M., consented to the sexual acts.

  “When it comes to the criminal process, it is about the evidence presented that leads to a legal determination based upon legal standards,” says Marinos. “It may be very difficult to remember that it is about evidence that is available and entered into a case.”

  Marinos also notes that Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia, who tried the case, said while not all inconsistencies in a testimony mean a witness is lying, there was “cause for concern” about whether E.M.’s evidence was credible or reliable.

  “Importantly, the judge stated that subjective and lived experiences may not objectively be the truth as the judge looked at a constellation of all of the evidence,” says Marinos. “The Crown did not meet its high criminal standard of proving the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.”

  Forensic Psychologist Angela Book says E.M.’s testimony reflects a number of behaviours related to people’s reactions in dangerous situations.

  Self-silencing, for instance, is “not speaking one’s thoughts due to wanting to maintain harmony among others,” says the Professor of Psychology, while “judgmental self-doubt” involves distrusting one’s perception of a situation.

  “We think those two tendencies, when combined, lead to capitulation, which is defined as the tendency to ignore, dismiss or downplay warning signs of danger and remain in a potentially dangerous situation,” she says.

  Book is concluding research she conducted with Lakehead University Associate Professor Beth Visser (along with PhD students Theresia Bedard and Veronika Fendler-Janssen) on “self-silencing,” “judgmental self-doubt” and how they relate to reactions in dangerous situations.

  She says early gender socialization has taught many women to suppress negative statements or fears to be nice, polite, compliant and not “rock the boat.”

  There is also the “freeze” psychological and physiological response where a victim appears passive out of fear or avoiding further harm when in a traumatic situation, Book says.

  Judging how a victim acts during a sexual assault can be misleading, she says, given these and other trauma responses.

  
  Assistant Professor of Sport Management Taylor McKee, Criminologist Voula Marinos and Forensic Psychologist Angela Book are available for media interviews on this topic.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases