A Kitchener, Ont., hockey coach has launched a $1.29 million countersuit alleging a hockey dad indignant over his son’s ice time is mendacity to attempt to wreck his profession, roughly three months after the mother and father launched a civil case claiming the coach abused their son.
Each instances are open and ongoing and neither events’ claims have been confirmed in court docket.
Lawyer Phil Millar, who represents AAA coach Michael Nicoll, accuses a pair from London, Ont., of “misusing the legal system for their own personal agenda.” Ontario Chronicle isn’t figuring out the couple in an effort to defend the id of their underage son.
The countersuit claims that the daddy “openly bragged about ruining the career of a coach for failing to give his son sufficient ice time.”
In response to the assertion of declare, the couple’s son was chosen to the Huron Perth Lakers under-13 AAA crew on April 29, 2023, however an evaluation famous that his skating expertise wanted to enhance over the low season. In September 2023, the defendants’ son was moved from defence to ahead as a result of “his backwards skating skills were not sufficient for the AAA-level.”
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On Oct. 15, 2023, the assertion alleges that the defendants submitted a criticism to the Huron-Perth Lakers Minor Hockey Affiliation’s govt over issues about ice time. The assertion additionally notes that hockey on the AAA stage is taken into account aggressive and equal ice time isn’t assured.
At a weekend match in Barrie later that month, the assertion alleges that the participant’s father informed an govt member of the affiliation that “he was going to complain to Hockey Canada to destroy the Plaintiff’s coaching career” and that he “continuously disrupted other Team parents by constantly approaching them and talking about how he would ensure these coaches would never coach again” which prompted a criticism to the Group’s mother or father consultant.
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The assertion alleges that after the third recreation of the match, he confronted the coach and started “shouting and cursing” at him about his son’s ice time. It’s alleged he additionally “repeatedly threatened to get (Nicoll) fired.”
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The countersuit lists additional situations of alleged inappropriate language and aggressive behaviour from the participant’s dad earlier than he was barred from the world for the ultimate recreation of the match, a requirement that the swimsuit claims he ignored.
Finally, “after repeated sanctions violations by (the father), the Defendants’ son was also sanctioned via an indefinite suspension from Team activities pending a hearing.” After roughly a month, the mother and father requested their son be launched from the crew again to their residence centre, which was accepted Nov. 29, 2023, the swimsuit claims.
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The next day, the mother and father filed a lawsuit towards Nicoll, the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario, the Ontario Minor Hockey Affiliation, the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada. Their son was additionally listed as a plaintiff.
The countersuit claims the preliminary lawsuit sought over $2 million in damages and “falsely claimed that in October 2023, (Nicoll) had committed battery against (the couple’s son) during a team practice, had verbally and emotionally abused their son, that (Nicoll) had deliberately ignored Hockey Canada rules meant to prevent abuse, and that (Nicoll’s) version of events reported to the Executive was defamatory towards (the parents).”
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Ontario Chronicle has contacted the lawyer representing the participant’s mother and father however had not acquired a response as of publication time.
With respect to allegations of battery, the countersuit claims that it was an exaggeration of an incident throughout a crew observe the place gamers have been engaged on wanting over their shoulder whereas receiving the puck. On this case, the countersuit claims that the participant didn’t see the coach coming in the direction of him, the participant made a pointy flip after which the 2 collided.
“None of the other players, parents, or the coaching staff raised any concerns about this incident at the time or afterwards,” the countersuit states.
As for allegations that Nicoll didn’t implement Hockey Canada guidelines meant to stop abuse, the assertion of declare says these guidelines weren’t but accepted by the Ontario Hockey Basis on the time of the incidents. “At all times (Nicoll) followed the policies in effect for the league at the time,” the assertion reads.
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The countersuit additionally alleges that the mother and father made a false declare towards Nicoll to the Kids’s Support Society, prompting an investigation. The assertion claims Nicoll cooperated absolutely and the case was closed on Feb. 2 after CAS “found no evidence of physical force/harm.”
Ontario Chronicle has reached out to the Huron-Perth Kids’s Support Society however had not acquired a response as of publication time. Kids’s Support Society London and Middlesex, in the meantime, mentioned it was unable to offer remark.
The swimsuit says the allegations towards Nicoll have “led to the spread of baseless rumours” that “would lower (his) reputation in the eyes of any reasonable person” and that Nicoll has been coping with melancholy, anxiousness and stress because of the scenario.
The countersuit is looking for $1 million for defamation, $40,000 for misplaced earnings and $250,000 for aggravated damages.
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