The Long Change

Before the pandemic, before isolation, and before the suspension of all major sporting events, coaches were going through a reckoning. The increased empowerment of player associations, the use of social media as an accountability mechanism, and the changing expectations of what constitutes safe, fair treatment of athletes have all illuminated systemic problems in sport. Many widely accepted standards and expectations of yesterday just no longer apply. And this shift has been felt sharply in professional hockey.

In late 2019, Bill Peters of the Calgary Flames, Mike Babcock of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Marc Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks were all relieved of their coaching duties or publicly reprimanded, dogged by allegations of bullying, physical abuse, or personal misconduct. And in November, Don Cherry, the Jack Adams Award–winning coach and long-time, outspoken fixture of Hockey Night in Canada, was fired for making controversial on‑air comments...