Read The Room

No one will ever accuse hockey people of being smart, especially if one is involved in men's hockey. We've seen and heard a number of jaw-dropping statements from Hockey Canada over the last few months about the sexual assault scandal the organizations finds itself embroiled in, so you'd think that other organizations would learn from the landmines set off by Hockey Canada. MoDo, playing in the SHL, Sweden's top hockey league, should be one of those organizations, but there may be a lot of questions about their moral standing after they released a statement today about a player under contract with the team.

Unbeknownst to them at the time, MoDo signed a player this summer for their junior program who had been charged with sexual abuse. MoDo CEO Johan Widebro said on August 31, "Unfortunately, we had not been aware of the situation before, but we received information about this on Wednesday. We of course take the situation very seriously and are now taking the necessary measures."

The only measure that MoDo took, it seems, was "to suspend the player in question from training and matches until further notice" which seems like the very least that MoDo could do. Earlier today, HockeySverige.se reported that "[o]n Tuesday, MoDo announced that the player has now been convicted of sexual assault in the district court. According to Örnsköldsvik's Allehanda, the junior player must serve 110 hours of youth service and also pay SEK 25,000 to the plaintiff."

Charged and convicted seems like a clear message for MoDo to distance themselves from this player, but Widebro spoke again today about the situation, stating, "If the judgment becomes final, we will break the contract with the player."

Let me be clear here: read the room, MoDo. Your player was charged and convicted by a court, so terminate the contract. Regardless of whether or not an appeal is filed, the fact that the organization is willing to stand by a player convicted of sexual abuse doesn't cast MoDo in a great light. I don't care if this player is the next Peter Forsberg or a long-lost Sedin sibling - he's guilty of a heinous crime, so do the right thing and just end the contract with prejudice.

You would think that MoDo's CEO would be up-to-date with the Hockey Canada ordeal, but it seems hockey is learning nothing about how to change the culture and be better. For an organization with a prominent women's program at both the junior and senior levels, you would think MoDo would do a better job in believing their own statement they issued on August 31 that read, "MoDo Hockey would like to emphasize that the club distances itself from all forms of harassment, bullying, violations and special treatment."

I guess this is another "do as I say, not as I do" situation because it sure seems like this convicted junior player is receiving some special treatment regarding a serious criminal violation in having his contract protected by MoDo. Sweden's laws are some of the stringent on the planet regarding sexual assualt and sexual abuse, so the chances of having this conviction overturned seems very unlikely. It could happen, but I can't see it happening.

Read the freaking room, MoDo, and do the right thing in this case.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!