OMHA investigating incident involving banana at Newmarket hockey tournament

The Ontario Minor Hockey Association is investigating an alleged incident involving a banana at a Newmarket hockey tournament over the weekend.

Stacey Giasson, whose 10-year-old bi-racial son Ben was playing in the tournament, posted about the incident on Facebook, explaining how two adults from the opposing team had taped a banana to the glass boards directly behind one of the nets during a game on Saturday.

Christina, another mom from the team, captured a photo of two people taping the banana and says she witnessed each player come out on the ice, skate by, and tap the banana with their sticks. It happened again at the end of the game.

“I was very dumbfounded. I just couldn’t believe it was happening. I was watching it. And I couldn’t believe that. That was happening in today’s society right now and I don’t blame the children in any way,” said Christina. “And the parents cheering before the game and again after the game and to tell me that not one of those parents knew that that banana was wrong being there, I think was the worst.”

She and other parents informed Giasson after the game what happened as Giasson was sitting at the other end of the rink.

Ben is the only bi-racial member of the team and is the top scorer of the team. Just a few days prior, the two teams had met and Ben scored a hattrick.

“At first actually just stood there in disbelief and I was like, ‘Okay, are you for real?’ And then as they started to show me the pictures, then feelings started to sit in,” said Giasson. “Anger, I was emotional. I was frustrated. And at that point is when I was like, ‘This is unbelievable. This is not happening at a 10-year-old’s hockey game.'”

She said the coach of her son’s team approached the opposing team’s coach to question him about the incident. Giasson said she overheard the coach say there was “no racism involved,” and then he walked away.

“At this point, it wasn’t even if the intent was something different than what we may have perceived it to be, which is what they’re saying. They had a moment, and it was at that moment. They had an opportunity to rectify it. And they had an opportunity to own it and they had an opportunity to apologize me.”

The head coach of the team, Jeffery Murphy, has now issued an apology to Giasson, acknowledging the hurt experienced by her and her son.

“I do not condone or accept any form of racism or discrimination and I strive to be actively anti-racist, as well as an ally to all. While my team and I never intended to hurt anyone, I acknowledge and accept that as the team’s coach, I should have been more aware and sensitive to the unintended negative connotations that the team’s actions carried and how it could cause harm to others,” read the letter from Murphy.

He explained the bananas had been brought as a snack for the team and when one was left over, they decided it would be given to the player of the game. Murphy said the team manager then left it on the edge of the glass board. A father of one of the players decided to tape it to the glass as a “good luck charm.”

Those photographed with the banana were fixing it after it had fell during the game.

“This incident with the banana arose out of a series of bad decisions that failed to recognize how such behaviour could understandably be viewed as being racially motivated or driven and/or that it was directed at this young boy or other individuals of colour at the game,” read the letter. “Again, this was poor decision making on my part and I wish it did not happen.”

Murphy concluded that he hoped to apologize in person to Giasson and her son and “fix that damage that has been caused.” The full letter can be read at the end of this article.

Another woman, who says her son was on the opposing team, also said the banana only represented a good luck charm for their team and the incident did not have any racial undertones.

“I am upset that this family was offended by the children’s choice of mascot, perhaps I am naive and ignorant on several micro and macro aggressions, and I truly apologize for that,” read her Facebook post.

She added their team is made up of multi- and bi-racial children and “meant absolutely no harm or targeting.” Jessica said she was not aware of what happened at the time of the game but was informed afterwards.

“I’m not here to say ‘oh, we didn’t do it’. There was a banana that got put up. Somebody took it as an offensive. The people who were in charge of this banana or whatever the case maybe also didn’t realize and that’s our shortcomings,” said Jessica. “And what can we do now is if I see this again, 100 per cent shut it down and educate yourself. But we need to have the conversation.”

Giasson said regardless of the intentions, adults should be aware of the racial overtones.

“To me, intent is irrelevant. Once you are made aware that this is perceived as racially motivated. Once you are given the opportunity to apologize and you don’t, there really is no other excuse for it. And that’s the problem that I have.”

Giasson said York Regional Police’s hate crime unit has been in contact with her. She said she wasn’t even the one to report the incident.

OMHA says they informed York police about the incident. CityNews has reached to York police to confirm if they are investigating, but have not received a response at this time.

There have been other incidents in which bananas had been used towards Black hockey players in arenas, including an infamous incident involving now-Leafs player Wayne Simmonds in 2011 when a banana was thrown at him during a shootout.

“I don’t even know hockey that much. And I knew that was wrong,” added Christina.

Giasson adds she does not blame the players on the team at all.

“I do feel bad for the kids. I don’t think these children knew what the actual intent was behind it.”

“I think more importantly, there needs to be education, there needs to be awareness, and there needs to be dialogue. And the narrative needs to be different in the community and within the hockey community about how these situations are prevalent, very prevalent in hockey, and it needs to be addressed.”

She added she’s had conversations with her son about potentially dealing with racist incidents throughout his hockey career, but adds she would have to address it when he was only 10 years old.

Giasson has received an outpouring of support after her Facebook post and has received many messages from other parents who have experienced similar situations.

“I have been flooded with other messages from other parents who have experienced similar situations in hockey. And so I think for me, bringing that awareness, not just for other players, not just biracial, but Indigenous players, female players, players in the league that are a minority, and it’s continuing to happen and they get a slap on the hand and then it happens again, and it needs to stop.”

Letter from Coach Jeffrey Murphy by CityNewsToronto on Scribd