Former OHL player Brock McGillis says he once attempted suicide
The former goaltender came out in 2016.
As Hockey Canada continues to deal with the fallout of multiple sexual assault cases, one former Canadian Hockey League player is blasting what he calls the toxic culture that is prevalent in many locker rooms.
Brock McGillis, who played with the Windsor Spitfires and the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League from 2001 to 2002 and also came out as gay in 2016, explains that he once attempted suicide thanks to the overtly negative experiences he had in his playing days.
"The impact of being a gay man in there, hiding who I was and adhering to the norms and becoming a womanizing hockey bro — and what that did to me, I mean, quite honestly, I was going home … and attempting to die by suicide," he told Cross Country Checkup.
"People dress the same … talk the same, whether that's who they are or not," he said. "There's no room to be anything other than the norm — and if you are, you're othered."
He then continued by speaking of the often harmful environment in many locker rooms, one that he experienced first hand. He then had words for those in the hockey community who pass along these toxic traits to their own kids.
"Then, in turn, you see thoughts and behaviour that lead to bigotry, and lead to misogyny, and lead to sexual assault."
"And typically, hockey people have hockey babies," he said. "Parents who come from hockey culture put their kids in hockey. So it's learned and normalized culture."
