Quebec hockey referees speak out about being subjected to violence on the ice

Warning: the images in this report may be disturbing to some readers. 

Hockey can be a violent sport but it’s not only the players receiving the blows.

In a three-part report, Noovo Info uncovered stories of referees who have been badly injured on the ice, with some suffering scarring, head trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

Many say they’ve been left to fend for themselves.

In the 45 years Ken McLellan has been a hockey referee, he's seen the level of violence on and off the ice increase.

"A lot more violence is being vented in the arenas because it seems to be one of the only areas that people feel comfortable doing that," McLellan said in an interview.

Last year, he was on the receiving end of that violence. While refereeing a midget game in Laval, a young player, unhappy with a call, aimed a slapshot directly at Mclellan's face.

"And that put me down on the ice, which, unfortunately, took me to the hospital," he told CTV News.

He was there for three days, had multiple operations, and couldn't work for a month.

Noovo Info spoke to other referees with similar stories, who have the feeling that they didn't receive any help, or any emotional or financial support, including Marie-Eve Robichaud. She took a puck to the mouth while refereeing a junior game in Saint-Jerome last year.

Her memory of the incident is hazy but afterwards she suffered physically and mentally, and was later diagnosed with PTSD.

Luc Tetreault was assaulted during a junior game in Granby last March. A video shows a player ramming him head-first into the boards.

He says no one contacted him afterwards to see how he was doing.

McLellan also felt abandoned.

"There's, like, a conspiracy of silence when a referee gets injured. Nobody reaches out to you, nobody tries to assist you," he said.

A recent study by HEC Montreal found 85 per cent of Quebec refs have experienced verbal violence on the ice and 45 per cent have experienced physical violence.

But there's little recourse for referees injured on the job. Insurance from Hockey Canada is limited, only topping a ref's private insurance if they have any.

Referee Ken McLellan speaks to Noovo Info journalist Marie-Claude Paradis-Desfossés. (Noovo Info)

"One of the problems is the referees in Quebec are considered self-employed, so they do not have the right of any compensation from [Quebec's workplace safety board] CNESST, but in some cases the CNESST is saying that they are employees," Noovo Info journalist Marie-Claude Paradis-Desfossés told CTV News.

That's what happened to Robichaud but her league contested that decision and her case is now before a labour tribunal.

McLellan says he's lucky he has private insurance. He also went through small claims court and eventually settled out of court for $15,000.

Tetrault filed a police report but the prosecution didn't press charges against the player.

Hockey Quebec says it's reforming its disciplinary committees and they're looking at other ways to improve things for referees.

"They told me that he want to put all the referees from Quebec under Hockey Quebec. So, it will be easier for the referees training and also easier to help them when they face issues," Paradis-Desfossés said.

The province is short on referees and many are leaving the profession.

Many refs are only in their teens and McLellan says there needs to be a clear process to help them, "to be able to support them and to explain to them where their support areas are, so that they understand that they're part of a team."