Posted on by Stephanie's Corner

The Picket Fence Mentality Preview

I use this concept to describe the default script society lays out for us—what’s expected of the “average” person living in Western culture.
We go through school; a system we’re told prepares us for life.
Once basic education ends (with debatable results) if we’re lucky, we achieve “the dream”: owning a house with a white picket fence, a tire swing in the yard, and a family. All the while, we trade massive chunks of our lives working to pay for the house and all the stuff we’re told we need to be happy-
For boys that includes a wife that is submissive, relies on them to be the breadwinner/provider and is what is called a “housewife.”
For girls that includes finding a man to settle down with, have his children, and be the “housewife” the man needs to survive the world.

Suburbs symbolize stability and the rise of the middle class. They represent broader access to the material resources that support good health. In an ideal world where we truly expand access to the things that generate wellbeing, everyone would enjoy the quality of life that suburban living often provides.
But we’re nowhere near that reality, especially in the NHL.
The “picket fence theory” (traditional marriage, kids, suburban family life) remains appealing to most men on paper, but fewer achieve it early, and support has softened over generations compared to past decades. Here’s a breakdown from reliable sources like Pew Research, Institute for Family Studies (IFS), and others:

Desire for Marriage

•  IFS 2026 survey of young men (18-29): 68% of unmarried young men say they want to get married someday; 21% unsure; only 10% say no. Among those wanting kids, 90% also want marriage. 

•  Pew Research (adults 18-34, never married): 69% want to marry someday (men and women roughly equal). 

•  High school seniors (2023): 74% of boys say they’ll likely get married someday (down from higher past figures, but boys now outpace girls at 61%). 

•  Broader trends: Harvard Youth Poll (2025) found 57% of 18-29 year olds overall see marriage as important. 

Desire for Children

•  Pew (young adults 18-34 without kids): 57% of men want children someday (vs. 45% of women); 30% unsure, 18% don’t want any. 

•  IFS (young men): 62% of childless young men want to become fathers; among those wanting marriage, 82% want kids. 

•  Other data (e.g., NSFG analyses) shows childless men often report similar or slightly higher interest in kids than women across ages. 

Context and Caveats

•  Most men still link the two: Marriage and kids are often seen as intertwined for fulfillment, with many viewing family life positively. Older data (e.g., 2018) showed ~37-40% of men seeing marriage/kids as “essential” to a fulfilling life. 

•  But reality differs: Marriage age is rising (median ~30 for men), marriage rates are down long-term, and a growing share of men remain childless or single longer. Economic pressures, dating challenges, and shifting priorities play big roles—many want it but face hurdles. 

•  Gender and generational notes: Young men often report higher interest in kids than young women in recent polls. Interest has declined overall since the 1990s, especially among women/girls. 

•  Not universal: 10-20%+ explicitly opt out, and “unsure” is common. Broader cultural shifts (e.g., prioritizing careers, experiences, or long-term relationships over formal marriage) reduce the “must-do” pressure.

In short, a clear majority of men (especially younger ones) still buy into wanting the traditional family package, but it’s not a universal imperative like in past generations, and many delay or never fully realize it. Data can vary by age, income, education, and culture—US-focused surveys dominate here.

strong majority pursue and achieve it during their careers—often marrying and having children relatively young—despite notably high post-career divorce rates. 

NHL players (average age ~27-28 in recent seasons) come from a mix of North American (especially Canadian) and European backgrounds, where traditional family values are common. Many settle down in their mid-20s amid stable high incomes, team support, and cultural norms in hockey communities. 

Marriage and Children Rates (Estimates from Available Data)

•  Players with children: Varies significantly by team and age roster. In a 2021 analysis of most NHL teams (based on public Instagram/family tracking):

•  Top end: Vegas Golden Knights had 9 fathers with 28 children (~3.1 per household); Washington Capitals had 15 fathers with 29 children.

•  Typical range: Many teams had 5–12 players with kids out of ~23 active roster spots (roughly 20-50% with children at that snapshot). Younger teams skew lower; veteran-heavy ones higher. 

•  Anecdotal/ongoing trends: Numerous articles note players marrying and starting families “really young.” Dozens of active players have wives and multiple kids; family announcements (births, weddings) are common in NHL news. 

•  Marriage: High during playing years. Many prominent players (e.g., Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and others) marry long-term partners, often in their mid-to-late 20s. Public lists of “NHL wives” and wedding roundups show it’s normalized. Exact league percentage is elusive but appears well over 50% for established players. 

Divorce and Stability Caveats

•  High divorce rates: Commonly cited ~70% for NHL/professional athletes overall (or specifically post-retirement within ~1 year for many). This is attributed to lifestyle transitions, financial stresses, infidelity risks, and wives filing in a large share of cases. Alumni data sometimes cites even higher (e.g., 75%). This suggests the “picket fence” is pursued but often doesn’t endure long-term after hockey ends. 

•  Many players prioritize family publicly (e.g., mentioning wives/kids in interviews), and extended hockey families (multi-generational NHL lineages) reinforce traditional models. 

In context of broader trends: This aligns with higher traditional family desires in collectivist or sports subcultures vs. general Western populations. NHL players’ high earnings enable the “picket fence” more than average men, but career demands (travel, injuries, relocations) and post-career adjustments strain it. Younger/rookie players are less likely to be married with kids than veterans. 

Exact “buy-in” percentage (aspirational belief) isn’t polled publicly, but behavioral data points to 60-80%+ engaging with marriage/kids during prime years—higher than general young male averages in some Western surveys, tempered by divorce realities. Data is patchy (mostly public bios, team snapshots, and lawyer/podcast anecdotes) and evolves yearly.

Canadian & American Players (North American majority): Strongest cultural alignment with the traditional picket fence. Canada and the US emphasize marriage and children as key to fulfillment (per general surveys: 60-70%+ of young men desire both). Many come from hockey families with multi-generational NHL ties, reinforcing family-centric values. Public profiles frequently highlight wives, kids, and “hockey dads” — large families are common and celebrated. North American players often marry locally or within similar communities, with less cultural shift required. Behavioral indicators (early marriages, multiple children) suggest the highest “buy-in” and realization rates among NHL subgroups.

•  Swedish & Finnish Players (Nordic Europeans): More modern, egalitarian, and secular views shaped by home-country cultures (high cohabitation rates, lower religiosity, acceptance of diverse family structures, smaller ideal family sizes ~2.0-2.2). Formal marriage is less of a “must” than in North America, with greater focus on work-life balance and gender equality. However, NHL success often leads to stable marriages and children anyway—many Nordic players settle in North America with families and publicly prioritize them. Cultural flexibility may mean slightly later starts or more cohabitation before marriage compared to North Americans, but family remains central once achieved. No evidence of lower overall pursuit; outcomes mirror the league average.

•  Russian Players: Highest emphasis on traditional family structures among European groups, rooted in more collectivist, family-oriented culture (marriage and children seen as essential for social fulfillment and legacy). Russian society places strong value on large or close-knit families, filial duty, and stability. Russian NHLers frequently highlight wives and kids in interviews, often maintaining ties to extended family back home. They may marry younger or have more children on average than Nordic counterparts, aligning closely with North American traditionalism despite geographic/cultural distance. Political and economic factors in Russia can add pressure toward family as a source of continuity.

•  Czech & Other Eastern/Central European Players: Similar to Russians—traditional family values predominate (marriage/kids as core to adult life), blended with post-communist modernization. Extended family emphasis is common.

What is even more common around the NHL is the “type” of woman they all choose. And let me be frank, they are conformed to think the exact same way when it comes to picking a girlfriend/wife. As I stated in the earlier section, patterns resemble…. To be continued this fall.

If you would like to read the first edition, “Meet Me In The Penalty Box,” Click here and you can purchase it today.

Posted on by Stephanie's Corner

For The Love of the Game

What happens when an entire professional sports league is built on toxic masculinity and NOT ONE journalist/beat writer has the guts to talk about it and put pressure on the commissioner Bettman?

What is it like being a woman and working for the NHL?

What toxic behaviors are reinforced in the locker rooms?

How has this toxic behavior been passed down generation to generation?

What are the psychological ways that hockey players are being conformed to not only continue this behavior, but to stay quiet about it?

Get the book today and find out:



You can purchase the book on Barnes and Noble ONLY – The e-book will be available in a few weeks.

Posted on by Stephanie's Corner · 2 Comments

The Silent Women Of The NHL

All last month I saw the NHL Public Relations Dept tweet out, “The NHL continues to celebrate Women in hockey…” and all I could think was, “What a load of crap!”

Why you ask?

Because it is a ploy to make you think that they 1) care about women at all and 2) a distraction from knowing or even thinking that the NHL is the ONLY professional league that does not have written policy to protect women in regard to sexual assault / domestic violence / sexual harassment – but no, let’s get the confetti and celebrate them! (Insert eye roll here) Not only that, but the women also that are in the NHL now, as wives and girlfriends are silent. Do you notice that? Do you notice that when you do have a woman who is married (or used to be married) speak up that woman is forced to stay silent and if they shall open their mouths, they are given, “The Scarlet Letter?”


As you will notice from some of these photos of the some of the women, they look literally identical. I sent a few people a photo of these two women, one is a GF and the other is about to marry a player on the SAME team. And the response I received were al the same, “They are sisters, right?” Ha! Nope. They are NOT related.


Here’s something interesting and I know it is going to rub some folks the wrong way but when the hell did that stop me? If you notice that almost all the women who are either dating or married to NHL players look alike. Now, the ones who are not the same “type” are the ones that knew their athlete when they were young and probably met in school or while they were in the AHL or even possibly out in the wide world. Those women are the women who aren’t in the mold they are “supposed to be” while the women who all look alike, are that for a simple reason or two: Its to keep the hockey culture alive and well and it is also easier to control a chick who is basic and practically the same than it is to control a woman who is different and extra. Some of the basic chicks don’t even realize this, but that NHL player ain’t with you because he “loves you and wants to build with you,” but because you are basic and easy to control. You will put up with his bullshit and NEVER say anything that goes against the grain.
Sorry but not sorry, that is the culture in a heartbeat.


Let’s talk about that for a second.

Think about how uniformed the military is for a minute. Everyone looks alike, everyone sounds alike, and everyone stays in line. What happens when you get out of line? If you break violations, there are consequences.

Think about Boston Bruins Wags for a minute ( Wags stands for Wives and girlfriends) The wife of Lucic suffered domestic violence and filed an assault charge but “miraculously” it was dropped back in February of this year because his agent and the team made it difficult for her to testify and the charges were dropped. But think about the WAGS whose job it is to ONLY smile, look pretty and be happy all the time.

NOT ONE SINGLE WOMAN FROM THAT WAG GROUP SAID A DAMN THING ABOUT THIS.
NOT ONE SINGLE WOMAN THAT WORKS WITHIN THE BRUINS SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.

GARY BETMANN THE COMMISSONER DIDN’T EVEN STAND UP AND SAY THAT ASSAULT OF ANY KIND IS NOT TOLERATED IN THE NHL.

Why? Simple. It’s part of the NHL culture and it’s acceptable. So that is why the players go for basic chicks. A basic chick is EASY to control. A basic chick will not shake things up or cause a stir. A basic chick will not stand up for the other women in fear that they too can be assaulted or abused in any way. And of course, the guys will tell them to keep quiet because THEY DON’T WANT TO BE OSTRACIZED BY THE REST OF THE GUYS because “his woman” opened her mouth.

Think about Anna Kane for a minute. Everyone calls her “crazy” simply because she opened her mouth about domestic violence and how her daughter was taken away from her. The fact is, she is not crazy, what is crazy is that the truth she speaks triggers all those who want to live in this fake sexist world that is the NHL.
She needs to keep speaking her truth!

Something that I noticed from a NY Rangers wife on IG is the fact that she is AMAZING and she tries to have businesses and do things that make her happy outside of her husband’s hockey world. Every time she posts something where she goes off and does something amazing that she wanted to do she thanks her husband for, “Allowing me to be able to do it.” Um, excuse me? He “allowed” you do it? What are you, his slave? She should be allowed to do WHATEVER the fuck she wants to do. She is smart, beautiful and talented. She should not feel the need to thank him at all unless she is thanking him for support.

Another thing I noticed this past February. Jacob Trouba donated or painted some shit for Epilepsy NYC – His wife is a fucking doctor, and she is the photo you see below. The NHL public relations did NOT only MENTION her in the post, but didn’t even TAG HER! She knows MORE about Epilepsy than does the NHL and her husband Jacob! The reason is CLEAR why they didn’t mention her, it GOES AGAINST what the CULTURE is… and the sexism and misogyny at an ALL TIME HIGH!



And I won’t stop there. Sometimes these players pass around the SAME girl as they are appetizers. There is a guy on the Sharks that is married to a basic chick who dated another dude from a another team.

So before I continue let me qualify what a basic chick is or accepts for that matter. A basic chick accepts bare minimum at most. That’s it. Like I have said, they put up with the dudes bullshit. They never correct him, they are never supported publicly on social media or posted up, they never do anything else or demand to be treated better. They just accept basic treatment. The ones who are posted up are in a real relationship for the right reasons, the ones who aren’t, well, like I said, are only with him for the reasons that she is easy and breezy like I say below.

Why do you think I never “made it” dating an NHL player? Because I am extra and I am not going to sit there and let shit happen to the sisterhood that would be the WAGS. No way. I on the other hand, refuse to be tamed or groomed a certain way to “fit into the hockey culture”.
If you know me, you know that I protect all the people who are close to me. (Which isn’t that many but if you are in my circle, you are important to me.) I would though, as I have been told, would make an awesome hockey girlfriend, since I know the game inside out. I am a former cheerleader/ coach and I still work in the cheer industry so I know a thing or two about support and spreading positivity.

Now, I have NOTHING against a woman who wants to be a stay-at-home mom and just live off her husband’s means, if that is what she chooses to do. If a woman doesn’t want to better herself, that’s her prerogative. But I am saying here is the NHL doesn’t give women that option. You don’t see any woman who is married to a hockey player, who is a legend in her own right. For that matter you don’t even see hockey players on social media showing off their women like they’re proud of them, instead they hide them.
Did you know that 2 stars got married this year? Maker and Copp. But if you looked at their social media you wouldn’t even know that they were dating someone and the answer you get from guys as to why they hide their women from their social is a copout: “My life is private.” Yo, dude, there is a BIG DIFFERENCE between people KNOWING you are with someone and KEEPING that person a SECRET. And oh, By the way, A NY Rangers player or two does the SAME SHIT! These women are posting up them in their stories (which is literally a story for another day) and not posting on their feed about the “love of their lives”


And then there is this: These women are afraid to speak up about ANYTHING.

Last year, a NY Rangers had a player whose wife needed In vitro fertilization. That must not have been an easy road, but she did it and had a precious son. She could have been a spokesperson, a representative for all women who struggle. She had the platform to do that. But all she did was an IG story, and that was it. Was she afraid to speak up? Was she told to keep that on the down low?

Women or the WAGS don’t speak up about ANYTHING! They are the silent women of the NHL. They are JUST there to LOOK pretty when they can bring SO much more to the table.

The rest of the women who work in the league also work in silence. Imagine working for Gary Betmann who has two daughters and needs to “stay in line” so she can keep her job, which by the way, is rare for a woman to be working in this league in the first place since 36% of women work in the male dominant sport.

If you are a guy and you are the one saying, “Well, why don’t these women just come forward?” Here’s my answer for you to digest. When women come forward you men, DON’T support them instead you QUESTION and ACCUSE the VICTIM of what she is saying because OH My God, he’s your “favorite’ athlete. If women told you they were attacked by a wild animal you would believe them, no strings attached, but when a women tells you that they are attacked by a man, you question it. The worst is when you say they are “just thirsty, or they wanted that,” Um, not every woman is after a man for his money and I don’t give a flying fuck what the girl is wearing, no girl is asking for it. Also, you guys think it’s a flex to hook up with many chicks and be with “really pretty girls” that is not a flex, that just shows how immature and unstable you guys really are.

Also, I will not validate my feelings on social. I am sorry if this triggers you but if it does, oh well.
If you planned on commenting or a woman dating/married to an NHLer says “We aren’t forced to be silent we just don’t want to distract him or the team… blah blah blah…” I call BS. It’s not that you are forced NOT to open your mouth, it’s that you are scared as shit to open your mouth with fear. And that is wrong.

The NHL culture is AGAINST women. If it weren’t the commissioner would not be against creating a written policy to protect women and their partners.
Sexism is ingrained in the NHL culture as it is to socialize young males with masculine ideals. The process encourages young guys to embody certain traits such as sexism and misogyny and they are subjected to policing tactics that ensure that EVERY SINGLE NHL PLAYER adopts this way of life.

The best the NHL could do is come up with a dumbass slogan, “Hockey is for everyone” is a load of crap, whereas we are talking about sexuality, sexism, and bullying. By the way, Canada is so grossly engaged in the culture of hockey, that is drives that Country’s funding and sport policies.

If current player’s voices are needed and yet they will not recognize how they have objectification of girls and women, how can sexism and misogyny ever be challenged and changed?

Today, you see so many NHL players publicly revealing their struggles with addictions, is connected to this NHL culture that HAS TO CHANGE. Also, what is connected to this culture is the fact that the players are with hyper masculine ideals and that they are not manly if they don’t play through an injury. It bears to also note that the challenge within the hockey culture is that the culture is intentional. The guys struggle for what it means to recognize such behaviors. There is no room for a view of what it means to be otherwise; you are either part of the culture or you are shun from ever making it in the league. There can be NO player who is bigger than the league itself. And when there is, he is not treated well. If the NHL really wanted to celebrate women as women SHOULD BE celebrated, then this culture of having women be a carbon copy of another woman should not be a “thing” in 2024. EVERY woman is special in her own right. EVERY woman deserves respect, appreciation and love for what THEY bring to the table AND not TOLD what to bring to the table.

Why do men of the NHL want woman to bring the exact same thing to the table? What the hell are they so freaking afraid of?

And as I type this, I can guarantee you that behind closed doors some of the women of the NHL are abused and assaulted. If there is one thing, I have learned about watching hockey for as long as I have it’s this: I can pick up on vibes of the players who need anger management. So, if a player on the ice doesn’t get his way and get all heated, don’t you think he brings home that same type of vibe?

Note: there is data that backs this up. Don’t believe me, go on Google and find it.

To summarize, the problem stems from inside the league and blooms all the way around the league. The first step to create change is simple: The League needs a written policy and the players need to start being accountable for it.

So, will women finally speak up and have a voice or will they “stay in line” and “behave” like all NHL players want them too?

Time will tell, but in 2024, the TIME IS NOW.

Posted on by Stephanie's Corner

In a world full of copies, be an original.

It’s been awhile since I wrote a blog piece, but I have a great excuse… I’ve been busy trying to get my shit together, but seriously who hasn’t been?
I have been working on multiple projects and I will have updates for ya soon. If you want instant behind the scenes stuff, then I invite you to follow my Youtube Channel where most of that is posted.

Recently I was back doing choreography for an upcoming R&B singer – and that felt awesome to be dancing again because here’s a hint from a creative person, when you do anything creative whether it is writing, music, art, dancing, etc.. it helps build up your creative juices! I think I will be doing more of that in the future!
And speaking of music, I am still putting together my album. It’s crazy to see how life really does go full circle. Back in the 2000’s ( the early portion) I actually was trying for a record deal even if I didn’t sing the songs but sell the music/lyrics to artists. Back then we didn’t have social media to do that, we needed to make a tape, mail it to a producer and then literally wait by the mailbox, which is was TORTURE! My cousin had a meeting with the same producer I sent my work too and that is how I found out that they loved my stuff. But … a lot of things how to fall into place and well, it didn’t.

Seeing now how God/universe was redirecting me and protecting me from the music industry now that we see all the shit unfolding with Diddy, makes me know that the timing was not right then. But like I said, everything in life comes full circle and now is the perfect time for me to have an album that I will produce by myself with the help of technology.

UPDATE:
So, the NHL is trying their “best” to make it look like they are “women friendly” and care about women by having women take part of organizations in a big way. The biggest way is with the Kraken and the hiring of Jessica Campbell as their Asst. Coach. Now, I will say she qualifies for this position and frankly she should have been hired years ago, so I question the timing of this. Especially with the fact that 5 guys are being tried in a Canadian court room next spring for sexual assault.

But this is here why the NHL SHOULD HAVE a policy to PROTECT HER.

The NHL commissioner STILL refuses! so what happens when she is sexually harassed? God forbid anything worse happens! I have sent The NHL over 4 correspondence and I have only heard back once! This month is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Here are some important stats:
Over 1 in 3 women in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
At least 5 million acts of domestic violence occur annually to women aged 18 years and older.
Domestic abuse can be mental, physical, economic or sexual in nature.

And here’s something else to know: Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse where a person causes someone to question their sanity, memories, or perception of reality.
** I will be staying on top of this with the NHL **

Video Links: Remembering Johnny Hockey
Video Links: Matt Rempe ( his acting debut) – If you listen to my podcast, you hear me talk about how much I love his vibe! It’s authentic and real, not fake or stuck up like all other athletes.
This week BTW on my podcast which I do NFL picks, and talk about hockey (NY Rangers- mostly) I talked about positive and negative energy towards the end of the podcast. It’s really a good listen if you want to learn how to have the Championship Mindset.
Podcast link: click here

Posted on by Stephanie's Corner

I’m not bossy, I just have better ideas!

Alert! Alert!
If you wanted a sneak peek into my life and what I do and what I can offer you, then hop on over to my website

I am in the process of working on a few projects at the same time: A new book, A new business venture, and also working on changing the NHL’s culture where women are concerned, which will be the HARDEST thing I have EVER done! But, I am up to the task.

Speaking of hockey, so the other day there was a post about Jacob Trouba and his 1st Art Gallery and oh, by the way, I have DMs and IG stories, where back in September 2023, I implied that his work should be in galleries and even though he treated me like shit when I asked about him coming on my podcast, I still did FREE PR and reached out to a few galleries because I still wanted to support the arrogant dickhead. That’s me though, always supporting and being loyal to people who would never do the same and really don’t care about anyone, including his wife. If you look in the dictionary under narcissist, you’ll find his picture.

Someone asked me the other day if he said he was sorry would I accept it? Of course, but words would mean nothing, his actions, would tell if he was truly sorry.

Speaking of losers, ladies… do you know the new way guys are cheating on their wives/girlfriends?

If they have an Iphone they are using the notes app to do it. You can collaborate with others on the notes so lets say a guy has a note titled, Home Depot List, Then he will send it to the girl he wants to chat with and tell her that he lives with his ex or some stupid fake story as to why he is chatting under that particular note. Then you can chat and he can also send you photos too.

Another loser update is the fact that the former NHL player, Michael McLeod, who is accused of sexual assault in the 2018 World Juniors Scandal, signed with the disgusting KHL.
I hope that karma is swift for the KHL. How the hell can you sign a player who is accused of such horrific things?
Of course some guys on the post in Twitter/X had to say something to defend him. Which is when I reply with this: Your comment is EXACTLY why women choose the bear- no one will question if the bear attack happened. And to add, they won’t go on social media defending the man in question with the phrase, “Innocent Until Proven Guilty”

More to come.

Stay Tuned.

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Mind Over Matter

Yes- the rumors are true! My book, “The Championship Mindset” has been published and you can purchase it ONLY here (C lick here) Barnes and Noble dot com!
A champion mindset is a mindset that allows you to perform your best. Anyone that works on adopting this mindset will not only get better at what they do, but they will have the chance to be the best at what they do. Mindset is the biggest factor in success. Your mindset impacts each and every decision that you take. Whether you are an athlete or not, you can acquire The Championship Mindset!

A CONTEST / GIVEAWAY is coming soon!

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The NHL and it’s Misogynist Behavior

It’s no secret that A) I am a hockey fan and B) have had my share of controversy with my podcast – which I will mention later, but in its creepy, disgusting way, is all tied together. 
For those who aren’t hockey fans, there was a story that broke last week in regards to a sexual assault on a female back in 2018 at the World Junior Championship with Team Canada.

Here’s the background on this case:
In March of 2023, TSN’s Rick Westhead reported that The Heritage Committee had unanimously voted for a motion directing Hockey Canada to hand over law firm Henein Hutchison’s final report detailing its investigation into the alleged sexual assault. 

Police investigators in London, Ont., said in December of 2022 that they had “reasonable grounds” to believe that five members of the 2018 Canada World Juniors hockey team sexually assaulted a woman in a hotel room after a Hockey Canada fundraising gala, according to a court filing to the Ontario Court of Justice. 

The sexual assault allegations initially were investigated by London Police in 2018, however, the case was closed in February 2019 without any charges. The investigation was reopened in 2022.

In April of 2022, a woman filed a lawsuit against Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League, and eight unnamed CHL players, stating she was sexually assaulted in a London, Ont. hotel room in June of 2018 following a Hockey Canada event.

The woman elected not to name any of the players involved, and stated in her original claim that it was eight “players for, and members of the CHL and Hockey Canada, including but not limited to members of the Canada U20 Men’s Junior Hockey Team.”

According to the lawsuit, the woman met the players at a bar, who were in London, Ont. for the Hockey Canada Foundation Gala & Golf event on June 18, 2018. She met one of the players, who is referred to as John Doe 1, who bought her alcoholic beverages. The woman said she was separated from her friend group as she became more intoxicated and eventually left the bar and went to a hotel with John Doe 1. 

At the hotel, the two ” engaged in sexual acts” in John Doe 1’s hotel room. The woman said that after this, “John Doe 1 invited the remainder of the John Doe defendants into the room without the knowledge or consent of the Plaintiff.”

The woman said in the claim that over the next several hours, John Does 1-8 engaged in several sexual acts “which collectively constituted sexual abuse and assault of the Plaintiff.” During these assaults, “the Plaintiff experienced an ongoing apprehension of imminent physical harm of a sexual nature. The actions of the John Doe Defendants caused terror and fear in the Plaintiff’s mind.” 

In the claim, the woman states that she could not give consent to any of the actions because of how intoxicated she was. In addition, the group of eight would not let her leave the room, despite multiple attempts by the victim.

The woman claimed that Hockey Canada knew about the allegations and did nothing about them.

Hockey Canada stated on Dec. 20 that their investigation had concluded and an adjunction panel would determine if any sanctions need to be imposed. They would keep the results confidential as the London Police continues with its investigation. 

In addition, Hockey Canada said last year that no player from the 2018 World Juniors team is eligible to play for Canada’s national team in any IIHF event for the foreseeable future.  ”Senior officials at Hockey Canada… claimed they didn’t know who was involved. It was a statement as ridiculous as it was disheartening and sickening.” 

After the initial closing of the investigation, Hockey Canada began to receive backlash from Canada’s political figures and sponsors, in addition to fans of the sport. Especially since they quietly paid off the woman involved.

The NHL said it would conduct its own independent investigation into what happened because some active players were on that team and attended the gala. Commissioner Gary Bettman pledged to release the findings once completed, but as we saw with the hush hush and lack of transparency with what went down with the Blackhawks, we know fully well that this too will be “swept under the rug”
It’s disappointing the NHL doesn’t have the guts to own it, instead putting out a potential new franchise in Utah, to deflect from this breaking story, it’s pathetic really. And what I think far worse is the timing of how the NHL released it “mental health awareness” campaign to allow guys to have a leave of absence from their team and that too, was used to protect the five guys that are being charged with rape. The five guys are: NHL players Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils, Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers and Dillon Dubé of the Calgary Flames. Former NHL player Alex Formenton, who now plays with Swiss club HC Ambrì-Piotta, is the fifth player. Which brings me to the male fans disgusting reaction to this on social media.

This is why women don’t want to speak up. Being raped is the one of the WORST things a woman can feel and go through and these men on social media are more concerned about their hockey teams, defending the guys, and to me, the teams who knew about this and covered it up helped move the players around is despicable.
As a woman I can vouch that we are taught how to defend ourselves against being raped, when how about we actually teach men NOT TO RAPE!?

Of course women who are hockey fans have to endure being called, “puckbunnies” because yeah, heaven forbid a girl likes the sport for the sport. What these aholes on social media don’t realize is that throwing around a term like “puck bunny” is the same as calling them a slut…it’s not any classier and it certainly doesn’t make you look like any more of a real fan- it actually makes you look like loser! 
Most guys feel threaten, by a female who know her shit and is not afraid to tell it. As if women don’t face enough struggle earning respect period in the world today, in the sport of hockey it is 100% worse! Men should be less worried about women making them look bad all awhile they are looking like a catty high schooler for being concerned with their ‘extracurricular activities’. ( I say that with a lot of sarcasm!)

Sexism is no stranger in hockey as it has been in football and even baseball.
The hockey PR departments ACROSS the league HATE women. Yes, I said it and I stick with it. 62% of men are employed by NHL teams while a whopping 37% are women. Not surprised. And if you look at their roles, that’s even worse. 
Women work the sidelines/benches. Do you see women on TNT at the desk? Do you see women on ESPN at the desk? Do you see women as the an analyst? 

Do you see any woman in a high ranking position?  

How many females do you think do an NHL podcast and are promoted by the NHL? 

If you scope out X , you will find thousands of podcasts done by males, and their guests are usually who…. Other males.

On my podcast, I had male guests. For example, one of them a crazy fan, and another was another podcast trying to get big names on his. He told me that he was going to have me on his podcast as that was the deal- I’d be on his he be on mine…. Do you think I was ever on his? 

Because men don’t want to hear women talk hockey .

If you look at some of the women that are hired …. The blonde chicks mind you. That’s the reason they are hired for their looks not for their intelligence. Women are hired so it doesn’t look like they are being discriminated against when, in fact, women are constantly discriminated against in the world of the national hockey league.. they even have this fake special day called women empowerment day…. Like they give two shits about women. 

Going back to my podcast, And the guy that I knew in the PR department for the New York Rangers…. He knew Exactly that I was asking to have Jacob Trouba on my podcast, constantly ignored me, never responded, and then when the controversy hit X, instead of reaching out to me, like a man would do to see if he could fix anything or apologize, he unfollowed me on Instagram, unfollowed me on Facebook to pretend, as if he never knew who I was…. Oh I have screenshots.. 

Trouba on the other hand, knew I was asking for him to be on my podcast, and instead of being a man and reaching out to me, decided to go on a podcast with men at the helm. Trouba showed you that he is sexist against women just as the PR department is…. Just as the New York Rangers organization is….. oh, and by the way, there is a sexual assault lawsuit against the owner, James Dolan. 

I’ve always thought of James Dolan, as a very savvy businessman….. but you can kind of tie everything that’s happened with women in the Knicks and the Rangers organizations together…. don’t forget he’s also had Isaiah Thomas who was accused of sexual harassment, and then put him in charge of the WNBA’s team that used to play at MSG. He showed a lot of disregard for women.
It would be a smart move for James Dolan if he actually showed some concern for women, and what women have to go through to be in sports industry. It would also make him look better with the news coming out of his sexual assault lawsuit.

But you won’t see any other guy on the New York Rangers stand up against Trouba or stand up against what the New York Rangers PR department has done or for that matter stand up for women. No, they’ll just wear those stupid purple jerseys in March for women’s empowerment, and then auction them off for “charity” 

That’s the sad part.
And fans are no better.





Posted on by Stephanie's Corner

It’s about to get magical

January 23rd –
The day that the podcast “The Championship Mindset” will launch. Yes, it will launch BEFORE the book e-book version. The paperback version will be the last to be launch.

You can subscribe to the podcast here: SUBSCRIBE

A champion mindset is a mindset that allows you to perform your best. Anyone that works on adopting this mindset will not only get better at what they do, but they will have the chance to be the best at what they do. Mindset is the biggest factor in success. Your mindset impacts each and every decision that you take. Now, this mindset just isn’t for athletes, it is for everyone.

Each week I will do a podcast, blog post, and post some creative content designed to inspire you and encourage you.

Here is an affirmation to help you for the weekend ahead:
I am the master of my thoughts and energy and I can create my destiny.

Affirmations are positive statements that can help you to overcome self-sabotaging, negative thoughts.
Remember, Nothing happens by chance, but you need to take the chance and get out of your comfort zone in order to achieve greatness.
If you want the championship mindset you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. By having a deep-rooted belief in your abilities, you have the potential for success. Having confidence in your skills and talents, is one part but visualizing your routine that makes you feel excited about the future to align your thoughts and emotions, is what makes the championship mindset possible!

I hope you will join me.

You can subscribe to the podcast here: SUBSCRIBE

Posted on by Stephanie's Corner

Break My Bed, Not My Heart

Here’s the problem… It’s two-fold.
The problem with having a genuine heart, is that people think you’re stupid. They may think they played you. But the whole time they played themselves out of meeting and being with a good person.
Athletes do this to themselves EVERY time. And us fans are STUPID for only expecting bare minimum from them just like women do for men that they date.
What is the bare minimum that fans except and think that the particular athlete is so ‘great’ to them?
All athletes NO MATTER the sport SHOULD freely sign autographs. Now, there are boundaries that fans should respect like if they are out with family and eating at a restaurant you don’t go up to the table while they are enjoying a meal begging for an autograph. But clearly when they are finished it is okay to ask. When they do events, before games, after games. BUT respectfully! If you placed yourself in this limelight by wanting to be a professional athlete, then THIS IS WHAT YOU SIGNED UP FOR whether you like it or not! Period.
I laugh at seeing social media posts from athletes who literally COMPLAIN about this- um, hello you make millions of dollars and you can’t take 5 seconds to sign an autograph for a fan? Remind me again why you chose this occupation. ( insert roll eyes emoji here)
But then here’s the other side of the coin- ALL athletes get a swelled head and their ego is enlarged when they start to see folks ask them for autographs, the media talks about them, they see social media posts about them and then we start to idolize these dudes. This then makes them start to think that they are BETTER than the regular Joe and on the SAME playing field as a celebrity.
But here is why us fans SHOULD NOT idolize these guys. You have to remember rule one of marketing/branding: Rule one your image as an athlete is EVERYTHING. They are in fact their own brand, and what they do in front of the camera is what in fact makes fans idolize them.
How many times have you been on TwitterX or Instagram and seen your favorite player doing something for charity, or at a hospital, or at an event that is designed for them to look like they give a shit? The kicker is, I am SICK of hearing that this guys “really do in fact care” about us, the regular Joe. I am TIRED of hearing that they are “really great dudes” when their actions when the cameras are not involved are totally different.
Recently some hockey players did this charity thing called Shoulder Check in memory of Hayden Thorsen who loved hockey and excelled as a goalie in Darien, Connecticut. The 16-year-old died unexpectedly in May of 2022 and his family is using his passion for hockey to help Hayden’s legacy live on. The idea is wonderful. The mantra is reach out, check in and make contact. What a beautiful way to remember a kid who was that person who made sure others were okay. But to think that pro-hockey players from the NHL actually will “Reach out, check in and make contact” with fans who on social media maybe post things that are about mental health, or a fan that reaches out to a player to tell them how they love them, is UNREALISTIC to say the least!

The truth of the matter really is, that behind a screen you don’t know what ANYONE in life is dealing with and sure you can “study” their posts, and you can Google their name, but that is not going to give you who the REAL person REALLY is! People don’t live in their pasts anymore, they grow, adapt, change… and we ALL including the NHL players have skeletons in our closets that don’t define who we are today!

A friend of mine posted that Mika Zibanejad spent time signing autographs at the Shoulder Check and yes, he’s VERY good at doing this, and again, this is the bare minimum that fans have come to expect and not hold athletes to a higher standard. But his quote from the event was very telling, “You can see if you’re hurt physically sometimes but mentally, it’s very hard to see that and to see the signs.” Not true. Not true at all. I think most people ignore the mental signs because they just don’t want to deal with that.
So here are the signs that are as CLEAR CUT as daylight that people are experiencing a mental breakdown:

Symptoms of withdrawal

  • Not showing up for work for one or more days or calling in sick.
  • Missing scheduled appointments or social events.
  • Slipping into poor lifestyle habits like unhealthy eating, not getting enough sleep or can’t sleep, poor hygiene and not exercising.
  • Losing interest in activities or hobbies or things that brought you joy.
  • Not wanting to leave your home or be with others.

Symptoms of depression

  • Feeling very sad, hopeless, helpless or worried.
  • Being irritated, frustrated or having outbursts.
  • Having trouble concentrating.
  • Having thoughts of self harm or suicide.

Symptoms of anxiety

  • Feeling pain, fear and uneasiness.
  • Having nightmares.
  • Unable to remain still and calm.
  • Nausea
  • Heart palpitations
  • Cold or sweaty hands.
  • Dizziness.
  • Upset stomach.
  • Trembling or shaking.
  • Trouble breathing.
  • Panic Attacks.

See, we all see these signs but we pass them over as just “normal” when they are not normal. And do you really think a pro-athlete is going to 1) care and 2) check on fans? That to me ins unreasonable to even think! Most of the time they don’t even check on their teammates nor they deny that they are going through a rough patch because they don’t want to be seen as weak. Again, we have the male stereotypical concept, that a man is weak asking for help and men can’t show emotions.

Recently, if you read this blog or follow me on social media, you know that I have been asking Jacob Trouba, Vincent Trocheck and Ryan Lindgren to do a fun segment with me called “Coffee With The Captain (and teammates)- which is basically 30 minutes of talking about why they take their coffee the way they do, hockey questions I have and just plainly have a fun – fun questions like do you prefer Pretzels or Potato Chips- getting to know each other so I can see them OUTSIDE the RINK and WHO They TRULY are as PEOPLE. Well, I have been asking for 2months and they look at the videos and they ignore me. They treat me like I am trash. I’m not someone they “need” or who is “important” so they don’t even respond at all.

NOTHING exposes CHARACTER MORE than the way you TREAT people you don’t THINK you need.

My point is, STOP putting these guys on a pedestal when they don’t give a rats ass about you.

Remember, all they do in front of the cameras is JUST for SHOW – it’s not who they GENUINELY are.

And if this is not who they genuinely are, and they truly are the “good guys” then they respond to me and do the segment. Cause they care about people and they remember where they came from… Don’t worry, I ain’t holding my breath but I will find a NHL player who actually cares and who will do this with me.

The saying is true, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”One should not judge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone. For example, “That man may look very small and insignificant, but don’t judge a book by its cover – he’s a very powerful man in his circle.“

Remember, karma, she’s a bitch. How you treat people will ALWAYS come back around to you.
And if this who Jacob, Vinny and Ryan genuinely are… then their true character has been exposed and it’s all a show as to who they pretend to be… But if this isn’t who they genuinely are, then they will do the fun segment with me. But make no mistake.. I will find a NHL player who will do the segment with me.
I have worked too hard to keep playing small.
I never will discount myself and my worth.
I deserve to be respected whether I am a celebrity or not.
I know what I bring to the table and I just raised the bar.