Expert available to comment on ending violence in hockey

With the news that the National Hockey League (NHL)’s Toronto Maple Leafs placed two stereotypical enforcers on waivers and the general shift in the nature of professional hockey from a game of brute force to a science of athleticism and advanced statistics, an expert on the issue of violence in professional sports is available to media for commentary.

Peter Jaffe, the academic director of the Centre for Research & Education on Violence against Women & Children at Western’s Faculty of Education, has long advocated on the dangers of fighting in hockey and the effect it can have on children and teenagers.

“We have to challenge the mindset of fighting not only in the NHL, but also in the training grounds of junior leagues where we have teenagers fighting each other as entertainment,” says Jaffe. “This fighting contributes to serious health consequences like concussions for these younger players and makes poor role models of them for children and youth, glorifying the role of violence in sports. It is extremely encouraging to see professional hockey teams recognizing that fighting and violence are not the best strategies for winning.”

Jaffe is available to provide expert commentary on the issue of violence in sports and the effect it may have on players, audiences and society at large.

Commentary reflects the perspective and scholarly interest of Western faculty members and is not an articulation of official university policy on issues being addressed.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jeff Renaud, Senior Media Relations Officer, 519-661-2111, ext. 85165, jrenaud9@uwo.ca, @jeffrenaud99