Join Centre for Sport Capacity member, Dr. Taylor McKee as he hosts guest speakers Sheldon Kennedy, Pete Soberlak, Hilary Findlay, and Erin Ambrose on September 19, at 12:00pm – 1:00pm EST, for the Hockey Culture: Solutions & Strategies Webinar!
The focus of this webinar will be centered around the current trends and controversy in hockey. Guest speakers Sheldon Kennedy, Pete Soberlak, Hilary Findlay and Erin Ambrose are featured on the panel and will be brought in to discuss the strategies and solutions to foster a healthier hockey culture from grassroots through to professional hockey.
Meet the Speakers
Sheldon Kennedy
Sheldon Kennedy is a decorated ex-NHLer who played for 10 seasons for the likes of the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, and Calgary Flames. Originally from Brandon, Manitoba, Kennedy focuses his time publicly advocating for child-abuse prevention sharing his own sexual abuse experience and raising money for child abuse prevention programs. In 2006, Kennedy published his own memoir titled “Why I Didn’t Say Anything” revealing a history of sexual abuse by a former coach during his time playing junior hockey. Kennedy and Respect Group fully supports the necessary systematic changes required to improve sport to ensure the safety of our youth.
Pete Soberlak
Pete Soberlak is a retired hockey player who spent most of his career with the Kamloops Blazers, Cape Breton Oilers, and Swift Current Broncos. Soberlak co-authored the book published in 2012 titled “Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos” Which discusses the 1986 swift current bus crash and several abuse incidents which he was involved. Soberlak now spends his time as the Athletic Director at Thompson Rivers University with a master’s degree in sport and exercise psychology.
Hilary Findlay
Dr. Hilary Findlay has spent her professional career working within the Canadian sport system as a lawyer, an advocate, a teacher and a researcher. Hilary’s work largely focused on athlete and participatory rights and obligations in the regulation of sport, including organizational fairness and responsibility in the provision of a safe sport environment.
Erin Ambrose
Erin Ambrose is a current women’s hockey player who most recently played for Team Canada women’s hockey team in the women’s World Ice Hockey Championships in Denmark. Ambrose has also competed for Team Canada in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. In 2020, Ambrose published an article titled In My Own Words. The article discusses her struggles with mental illness and sexual identity and how she overcame it.