Evidence of meeting #7 for Canadian Heritage in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was hockey.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Don Wilson  Chief Executive Officer, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton
Peter Judge  Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Freestyle Ski Association
Curtis Lyon  Chairman, Ski Jumping Canada
Clerk of the Committee  Mrs. Emma-Leigh Boucher
Katie Weatherston  Olympic Gold Medalist, As an Individual
Robert Zamuner  Divisional Player Representative, National Hockey League Players' Association

10:05 a.m.

Liberal

Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC

Okay.

Has the status of women's hockey in the Olympics solidified, or are you concerned that there are not enough countries that are competitive? We hear once in a while that maybe there are some uncertainties there.

10:05 a.m.

Olympic Gold Medalist, As an Individual

Katie Weatherston

For sure, the sad part is that it's a two-team sport right now. Finland was in there for a while, and Sweden. A few other countries are starting to make a move, as is Russia because they are hosting it, but the sad part is that the other countries are not funded. These players are not playing for that long because they start families or they want to move on to other things. Funding is a huge issue in women's hockey in other countries.

As I said, we train harder and longer than any other country, and it shows when we play, but I still think a Canada-U.S. final at the Olympic Games is worth having women's hockey in the Olympics. For some sports it's a few seconds down a hill. You go through trials and heats, and what it really comes down to is that final race or that final game. I really don't see it as different from other sports, but I'm sure I'm biased.

10:05 a.m.

Liberal

Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC

I will make some comments in French, since we are talking about hockey. After all, it is the sport of Jean Béliveau.

I am very concerned about the headaches you have had. I think that many parents will be increasingly...

10:10 a.m.

Olympic Gold Medalist, As an Individual

Katie Weatherston

Oh, there's translation. I'm new to this.

December 3rd, 2013 / 10:10 a.m.

Liberal

Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC

As I said, it's the game and language of Jean Béliveau and Guy Lafleur, and so on, so I need to use it.

With respect to concussions, my concern is that more and more parents will be worried about letting their children play our national sport. I know that we have already talked about this, but I think that this may be a major crisis for this sport, as well as for football. I may be off the mark here, but I have the impression that—and I haven't studied this issue—there are fewer serious injuries on the larger European ice surfaces because players have more room to move around and it is therefore less dangerous. Is that your impression as well, or is this something that I just dreamed up and that has no basis?

10:10 a.m.

Divisional Player Representative, National Hockey League Players' Association

Robert Zamuner

When you talk about the international game, their rinks obviously are bigger. There are studies that are out to look at the number of injuries that have occurred with a bigger rink. There's no doubt that the NHL players are getting bigger, faster, and stronger. There are new buildings that are going to be built in the future and it's something that.... We have a competition committee that's a joint committee between the NHL Players' Association and the NHL and that is actually one of the topics that has come up: the size of the rink and does it make the game safer. Everything about the game is being looked at.

We also have an equipment subcommittee that is headed by Mathieu Schneider and Brendan Shanahan.They're looking at all equipment. They're looking at the skates. They're looking at the shoulder pads. They're looking at helmets. They're looking at everything in terms of how you make the game safer.

For example, shoulder pads are getting bigger and material is getting harder. We're looking at maybe making the shoulder pads smaller. It's counterintuitive. You think that if you make things smaller, it makes it less safe, but the thing is, they're almost as—

10:10 a.m.

A voice

—important.

10:10 a.m.

Divisional Player Representative, National Hockey League Players' Association

Robert Zamuner

Yes, exactly.

These are all things that we're looking at, the rink size, the equipment, and just where these concussions or injuries are happening. It's something that is constantly being looked at.

10:10 a.m.

Olympic Gold Medalist, As an Individual

Katie Weatherston

If you would like me to add to that, as I said, I always think there is room for improvement with concussions. I do think the NHLPA has to really talk to the NHL, too, because the kids are watching them and that's where the message has to come from. The whole idea of the black room is a great idea but I think it should be you're removed from a game and monitored, and you're not allowed to do physical activity for at least 24 hours.

I know that in my experience it's ruined my life, so I have strong opinions on that.

I see it every day. Parents tell their kids, “She's faking it. She complains all the time.” Kids don't know so you can't really.... The way I approach a kid is that you can't lead them into saying they have a concussion. It's a very careful protocol you have to go through with them; balancing on one foot, following the hand...I'm sure doctors might disagree, but that only goes so far. I passed every concussion test. I passed the baseline impact test six times, and I still could not play because when I walked up the stairs, I got a head rush, a hot head.

It's hard to see the symptoms of a concussion. There are certain questions you have to ask.

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Gord Brown

Thank you. We're going to have to move on to our next questioner, and that will be Mr. Dykstra and Mr. Richards, who I believe are going to share seven minutes.

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON

Thank you, Chair.

I want to touch on a couple of things. One is the obvious question, what do you think of our teams' chances both in women's hockey and obviously in men's hockey to win a gold at Sochi?

10:10 a.m.

Olympic Gold Medalist, As an Individual

Katie Weatherston

We're going to win.

10:10 a.m.

Divisional Player Representative, National Hockey League Players' Association

Robert Zamuner

It's a great tournament and it's one game elimination and anything can happen. It's water cooler talk as to who is on the team and who is not on the team, but Bob Nicholson and Steve Yzerman and their staff have a tremendous task at hand trying to put together a team, and I like their chances.

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON

The follow-up to that is, in terms of support, going back to 2006 and prior to that with you, Rob, obviously to 1998, what do you think of the federal government's involvement in this process of supporting our athletes?

We've had almost all areas of sport covered at committee here and you're the last two witnesses to present. I wonder what you think of, or if you have any comments on, the federal government's involvement in this process and how it's improved over the last number of Olympics.

10:15 a.m.

Divisional Player Representative, National Hockey League Players' Association

Robert Zamuner

I can't speak so much about that. I think hockey is a little different, as I mentioned before. I have tremendous respect for Katie and her teammates. For the other sports, anything we can do to help the athletes.....

My experience in 1998, Rick, was tremendous. I don't know what it was like for you in Torino, but in the village, there was an area where the Canadian athletes could watch the feed of all the events. I know that every time Peter Lueders, the bobsledder, or whoever went out to their competition, everybody was in that room. We were all cheering him on. As I mentioned before, it's seeing it first-hand, the commitment, the pride, and everything that goes with it. I don't know their world. I can't imagine how difficult it is.

I'll let Katie speak to that.

10:15 a.m.

Olympic Gold Medalist, As an Individual

Katie Weatherston

As I said, more funding is needed, especially right before Olympic year, because a lot of athletes are into full-time training. You can't do anything else the year before an Olympics. We're lucky that we relocate to Calgary and Hockey Canada covers our food and living expenses. If anything, the federal government could focus on the year before the Olympics to make sure those athletes can train 100% and be focused. That's a huge year for us as athletes.

It's very tough. What you guys don't know, you don't see the stuff going on behind the scenes, where it's December 20 and there are 27 girls on the national team and by the end of the day, there are only 20. For seven people their season and Olympics dreams end right there. Other athletes don't have their finals until the new year. It's a very stressful time for athletes because they don't know who is going where.

The federal government definitely can help alleviate the financial stress. They could assist with the medical attention these athletes need. The year before the Olympics your body is taking a beating and you're trying to compete for a spot. I always tell people the Olympics was a breeze. Winning a gold medal is nothing. The most challenging thing in my life was getting on that Olympic team. I think that's what most athletes will tell you as well.

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON

I'm going to turn the rest of my time over to Mr. Richards.

One of the pieces I think he may touch on is the whole idea of the corporate world assisting in a much stronger and greater way. In the United States, the federal government doesn't engage itself in terms of support. It's all corporate. We have kind of a half-system here. I know he's probably going to ask those questions. I'm going to turn the time over to him.

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

Blake Richards Conservative Wild Rose, AB

Maybe I will, maybe I won't. We'll just see.

I think the real question everyone wants to know, and I'm not going to actually ask it, Mr. Zamuner, because you played on the '98 team, but the question everyone always wants to know is why was Wayne Gretzky sitting on the bench in that shoot-out?

10:15 a.m.

Divisional Player Representative, National Hockey League Players' Association

Robert Zamuner

I'm not going to answer that. I am asked it often. I wish I had a dollar for every time I am asked that question.

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

Blake Richards Conservative Wild Rose, AB

I'm sure you have been asked it a few times. I know you're not the person who can answer that question anyway.

What I would actually like to ask relates somewhat to the corporate sponsorships that Mr. Dykstra had mentioned. It is a two-part question. I'll ask it to both of you.

We've had a lot of the other sport organizations here prior to your being here. I don't think any of them actually mentioned it to us here at the committee, but I'm sure they were thinking about it.

I come from the Calgary area. Canmore is in my riding. A lot of the sports organizations and the training facilities are located in my riding, or close to it, for the winter sports. I talk to and meet with those organizations and also with some of the athletes who live in my riding. Everyone always says to me that they wish they were hockey. The reason they wish they were hockey is the pool of athletes to draw from.

I know it's changing somewhat but I know when I was a kid, everyone played hockey. It was a foregone conclusion that was the sport you played. There were a few other sports available, but not that many. That's really changed over the years, I know. There's that. Obviously the support is there, and I think corporate sponsorship is there to a greater degree than it is with a lot of the other sports.

The first part of the question is this. What can other sport organizations learn from hockey? A lot of kids play hockey and obviously there are some successes. What can other sports learn about how to attract kids and keep them interested? Also, more importantly, the sponsorship that's there may not be to quite the same degree with the women's team, but certainly, what can we do as a government to help encourage...? What can other sports learn from hockey in terms of encouraging that corporate sponsorship?

The other part to the question is the flip side of my first question. Over the last number of years, we've seen more choices for kids in what sports they get involved in. I've heard now, for example, that hockey is below soccer in terms of the number of kids playing the sport. Is there something that hockey needs to learn from other sports now that there's a bit more competition for those kids? What can hockey learn from them to ensure that we continue to have a great hockey program here in Canada?

If you want to answer that from both sides, I would appreciate that.

10:20 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Gord Brown

You have 20 seconds.

10:20 a.m.

Olympic Gold Medalist, As an Individual

Katie Weatherston

I hear you.

It's affordability. That's why I think soccer is booming. Why is hockey booming? Because it's our national sport. We're a cold country, so I think those are the black-and-white answers. As for funding, it just comes down to who is more creative with ways to seek funding. Sprott, the gold company, gave us, what was it, $20,000 per gold medal, as part of the CAN Fund. The CAN Fund funds every sport discipline. They don't just cover one. We have a few great private organizations that are helping to fund athletes, and they're bringing in corporate sponsors, but they're sharing it with all the athletes, so I really don't think there's tons. Maybe he would know more if hockey is doing better than others.

Oh, we're out of time.

10:20 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Gord Brown

Thank you. We're going to have to move to Mr. Nantel, and I think he's going to share about three minutes with Monsieur Lapointe.

10:20 a.m.

NDP

Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Time to wear these translation devices again.

There are certain people that we would really have liked to have heard from during our study but we were not able to. So I would like to thank Mr. Dykstra for inviting you here this morning. I hope that our analysts will be able to add the testimony from both of you, showing the best and the worst of your experience. This is the sandwich when it comes to sport.

Mr. Zamuner told us a very patriotic story about the flag. It was a time of great national pride and it is the kind of thing that we need and that should happen more often.

Ms. Weatherston, you talked about your experience and the serious problems you have had as a result of concussions. You also talked about the lack of support for athletes as they prepare for the Olympic level and the fact that there is often nothing available afterward. I want to say that this is very important testimony.

I will now hand the floor over to my colleague, Mr. Lapointe.

10:20 a.m.

NDP

François Lapointe NDP Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

Ms. Weatherston, you said that women receive little or no support after their Olympic career. In your case, you even had health problems and did not receive any support.

I would like to ask Mr. Zamuner a question along the same lines. Your players' association does have financial resources. On the basis purely of solidarity within the sport, have you thought of including elite women athletes in your post-career assistance programs? Is that something you might consider?