Canadian hockey brand pulls product line that faced criticism for demeaning women

Globe and Mail

21 hours ago

A Canadian hockey brand has pulled controversial clothing from its online store after a line of T-shirts and hoodies it sold was criticized for demeaning women and girls as sex objects.
HockeyBenders, a company that has become popular in rinks across the country and boasts a large following of kids and teenagers online, sold $35 T-shirts with the slogan 'Barduzz, Gettin Huzz,' which it has pulled.
Loosely translated from locker-room slang, it means, 'Scoring goals, getting hoes.' A hoodie version, available in children's sizes, was also taken down after a Globe and Mail article that examined misogynistic attitudes within the game, particularly at the teenage levels.
The company, which tours arenas and shopping malls around Canada, attracting crowds of cheering kids and interviewing groups of teens in clips posted to the internet, came under fire for slogans on its clothing and in marketing videos.
Katherine Henderson, the CEO of Hockey Canada, recently called the shirts 'disgusting,' while Andrea DeKeseredy, a former sexual-assault counsellor who studies gender violence, said the slogans point to a broader problem of misogynistic attitudes in minor hockey that are not being questioned.
HockeyBenders founder Cole Lequier, 25, could not be reached for comment about the company's decision to drop the products from its website.
Ms. DeKeseredy called the removal of the clothing from the HockeyBenders retail website a start to addressing what she sees as a bigger problem.
'I think taking the shirt down is a great first step, and I give them credit for doing so. I am hopeful this is due to some deep reflection on the influence they have over children as opposed to a decision made solely to protect their business interests, especially in relation to the large retail stores across Canada that carry their clothing,' Ms. DeKeseredy said.
She is alarmed that a brand producing T-shirts and videos with messages that degrade women grew popular at the same time the Hockey Canada scandal and its allegations of group sexual assault by former world junior players loomed over the game.
Two weeks ago, five players − Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote − were found not guilty of sexual assault. Mr. McLeod was also found not guilty of a second charge of being party to sexual assault.
The National Hockey League called the behaviour of the players 'unacceptable,' despite the judge's decision.
'For many Canadians, regardless of the outcome of the trial, this has become an opportunity to think about the ways hockey culture shapes the kids who play it,' Ms. DeKeseredy said. 'That extends to HockeyBenders who have a huge platform that could be used to help create some positive changes as we move forward. I hope they continue to sincerely listen.'
Ms. Henderson, named Hockey Canada CEO in 2023, wants to confront such attitudes in the game.
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'While Hockey Canada continues our efforts to address issues in hockey culture, any merchandise targeted towards young hockey participants that promotes negative messages about girls and women reminds us that we all still have significant work ahead of us,' Ms. Henderson said.
Mr. Lequier started the business from his parents' home in Barrie, Ont., trademarking it in 2023. In a recent Instagram post, he said the company has sold more than 100,000 hoodies (including versions with innocuous slogans that don't mention women). The brand is in 150 retail stores, and has more than two million followers on social media.
HockeyBenders responded to previous inquiries from The Globe with an unsigned e-mail that said the men behind the company believe the humour is all in good fun: 'The boys are two hardworking young hockey entrepreneurs and make videos for people to enjoy and laugh that's it. And like to keep everything they do positive. They like to stay in their own lane with their fans and followers!' the e-mail said, verbatim.
On Instagram, Mr. Lequier described the void he believes HockeyBenders fills in the game.
'I felt like, growing up, there wasn't many hockey clothing brands that had relatable slogans and sayings for hockey players,' Mr. Lequier said. 'So, I saw a huge, huge gap in the market.'
HockeyBenders regularly interviews teen hockey players in rink lobbies about the game, and often about women, and posts those clips to TikTok and other online platforms, which drive popularity and profit for the brand. They are asked their preferences in girls, and 'how many blondes' and 'how many puck bunnies' they connect with on social media.
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In one video, a player claiming 100 such girls was dubbed 'lover boy.' Another player, with just a few, was praised as a 'quality over quantity guy.' Mr. Lequier did not respond to questions about whether HockeyBenders obtains parental consent before interviewing young players and posting clips online.
The criticism of the HockeyBenders clothing and videos echoes a similar controversy in the early 2000s, when a website known as the Junior Hockey Bible, laced with misogynistic language, went viral in Canada. It offered a lengthy glossary of hockey terms for women, calling them 'swamp donkeys' and 'puck sluts.'
It advocated team group sex and players letting their teammates watch, adding, 'Many true team players will let their girlfriends be watched.'
The site, which was a marketing venture designed to promote a hockey clothing brand known as Gongshow Gear, gave tips on 'tag-teaming your local puck bunny' and advice for those girls: 'You have a job to do in the bedroom, concentrate your efforts on that role.'
When Gongshow's founders were confronted about the site in 2004, they took it down and issued a public apology. The Junior Hockey Bible has since been scrubbed from the internet. Reached by The Globe recently, Gongshow Gear declined to comment.