GTHL investigating allegations of anti-Semitism during games

TSN Senior Correspondent

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The Greater Toronto Hockey League has hired a private investigator to scrutinize allegations that Jewish players with the U-13 Avenue Road Ducks and their family members were targeted with anti-Semitic slurs during games this season.

A person familiar with the matter told TSN that GTHL was first contacted after anti-Semitic slurs were allegedly made before a game between the Ducks and Don Mills Mustangs on Oct. 31. The slur was allegedly made by a Don Mills parent in an arena hallway, but no investigation took place at the time because the person who reported the slur to Avenue Road coaches did not agree to be interviewed.

Officials with the Ducks contacted the GTHL again following a game against the Mustangs on Nov. 11 to report that the parents of Ducks players had heard parents with the Mustangs utter anti-Semitic slurs, the person said.

Ducks coach Steve Gold asked that future scheduled games between the two teams not be played, according to a second source. Gold declined to comment when contacted by TSN.

The GTHL was contacted by the Ducks for a third time following a game between Mustangs and Ducks game on March 6. The person familiar with the matter said that the GTHL was told that anti-Semitic slurs were allegedly made by a Don Mills player on the ice and by parents in the stands.

GTHL spokeswoman Stephanie Coratti wrote in an email to TSN that the league hired Toronto private investigator Michael Davis to examine the allegations of anti-Semitism following the March 6 game.

After GTHL officials became aware that other teams were being contacted to attend a April 5 playoff game between Avenue Road and Don Mills and support the Ducks, the league reached out and asked for