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Crossing the Line: Violence and Sexual Assault in Canada's National Sport
The world of junior and professional hockey will never be the same since Sheldon Kennedy of the Boston Bruins revealed that, while a junior player with the Swift Current Broncos, he was molested more than 300 times by his coach, Graham James. This revelation, and James's subsequent conviction, has thrown a spotlight on the other "Hockey Night in Canada," where abuse of and by young players is appallingly common.
In Crossing the Line, Laura Robinson takes an unflinching look at abuse in junior hockey, the breeding ground for the NHL. She explains how this great sport has gone so bad, and challenges those who are a part of the world of hockey to rethink the game and consider ways to fix it.
The abuse takes many forms. It may be overtly sexual. It may be an overwhelming pressure on players—removed from the support of their families and often living far from home—to perform and to fit in. It often takes the form of degrading hazing rituals, many of which have violent sexual overtones, designed to take the players beyond their inhibitions and the normal limits of their aggression.
Robinson shows how the institutionalized abuse in hockey turns the players themselves into abusers. Yet when accusations are levelled against the players, team managers and owners rally around to protect them, applying pressure to have the charges dropped or the accuser discredited.
Junior hockey and the NHL are arenas for the display of what we consider to be ideal manhood. In Crossing the Line, Laura Robinson shows how damaging it can be when the participants in this often violent spectacle are unleashed on the real world.
In Crossing the Line, Laura Robinson takes an unflinching look at abuse in junior hockey, the breeding ground for the NHL. She explains how this great sport has gone so bad, and challenges those who are a part of the world of hockey to rethink the game and consider ways to fix it.
The abuse takes many forms. It may be overtly sexual. It may be an overwhelming pressure on players—removed from the support of their families and often living far from home—to perform and to fit in. It often takes the form of degrading hazing rituals, many of which have violent sexual overtones, designed to take the players beyond their inhibitions and the normal limits of their aggression.
Robinson shows how the institutionalized abuse in hockey turns the players themselves into abusers. Yet when accusations are levelled against the players, team managers and owners rally around to protect them, applying pressure to have the charges dropped or the accuser discredited.
Junior hockey and the NHL are arenas for the display of what we consider to be ideal manhood. In Crossing the Line, Laura Robinson shows how damaging it can be when the participants in this often violent spectacle are unleashed on the real world.
264 pages, Paperback
First published October 17, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 29, 2024
This book is more than 25 years old but sadly still very relevant.
p. 210 “What if Sheldon Kennedy had been Shelly Kennedy? What if, instead of falling victim to Graham James, she had attracted the attention of five members of the team who wanted to watch each other have sex with a ‘dirty’? Would the hockey establishment have acted on her behalf with the same vigor they, finally, did on Kennedy’s, or would they have conveniently shoved it under the rug?”
Right now, five members of the 2018 champion Canadian men’s world juniors team are in the process of being charged for a sexual assault of a woman following a celebratory dinner. And Hockey Canada did everything they could to shove it under a rug. No timely investigation, no reporting to police, no requirement for cooperation with the initial investigation. The victim was paid off with funds earmarked for that purpose. Information has come out and the leadership of HC has changed. All but 2 members of that team made the NHL and have been playing and earning for five years.
Maybe the culture has changed a little? NHL stars are marketed in a more playful way without the prior emphasis on the cold, harsh style of masculinity that was previously prized. Did they participate in the kind of initiation rituals described in the book? I hope not, but maybe it’s just wishful thinking that my favorite players aren’t so damaged and appalling.
Please be aware that the book recounts numerous sexual assaults in full detail.
p. 210 “What if Sheldon Kennedy had been Shelly Kennedy? What if, instead of falling victim to Graham James, she had attracted the attention of five members of the team who wanted to watch each other have sex with a ‘dirty’? Would the hockey establishment have acted on her behalf with the same vigor they, finally, did on Kennedy’s, or would they have conveniently shoved it under the rug?”
Right now, five members of the 2018 champion Canadian men’s world juniors team are in the process of being charged for a sexual assault of a woman following a celebratory dinner. And Hockey Canada did everything they could to shove it under a rug. No timely investigation, no reporting to police, no requirement for cooperation with the initial investigation. The victim was paid off with funds earmarked for that purpose. Information has come out and the leadership of HC has changed. All but 2 members of that team made the NHL and have been playing and earning for five years.
Maybe the culture has changed a little? NHL stars are marketed in a more playful way without the prior emphasis on the cold, harsh style of masculinity that was previously prized. Did they participate in the kind of initiation rituals described in the book? I hope not, but maybe it’s just wishful thinking that my favorite players aren’t so damaged and appalling.
Please be aware that the book recounts numerous sexual assaults in full detail.
January 23, 2010
Disturbing book. Would be interested to read an updated version, since this came out in the late 1990s. I'd hope there's more consciousness around these issues by now.
March 2, 2024
I heard about this book after the members of the 2018 Canadian Hockey team were told to return to London, Ontario. They are being charged for raping and assaulting a victim back in 2018, that occurred after they won the Memorial Cup. It involves 5 NHL players who are now on personal leave to face these charges. (Long story around this case being reopened.)
In this book, Sheldon Kennedy is the ex-Bruin who tells his story in depth, about how he was sexually abused from the age of 7-18 by his coach, Graham James. Graham James was very well-respected and well liked in the hockey world. It wasn't until Graham James was actually convicted, that other players came forward.
Players were afraid to report anything that happened to them by James, or other coaches, because they didn't want to ruin their chances of advancing to the NHL
It is insane to me to think this went on, and I wonder if it still goes on today in the Canadian Junior Hockey community. So many NHL players from the Boston Bruins are from Canada, I hate to think that they were either abused, or abused others. This book is not for the faint at heart. It's disturbing, to say the least. Now, I am very curious to see what will happen with the trial of the 5 players accused from 2018.
In this book, Sheldon Kennedy is the ex-Bruin who tells his story in depth, about how he was sexually abused from the age of 7-18 by his coach, Graham James. Graham James was very well-respected and well liked in the hockey world. It wasn't until Graham James was actually convicted, that other players came forward.
Players were afraid to report anything that happened to them by James, or other coaches, because they didn't want to ruin their chances of advancing to the NHL
It is insane to me to think this went on, and I wonder if it still goes on today in the Canadian Junior Hockey community. So many NHL players from the Boston Bruins are from Canada, I hate to think that they were either abused, or abused others. This book is not for the faint at heart. It's disturbing, to say the least. Now, I am very curious to see what will happen with the trial of the 5 players accused from 2018.
August 18, 2020
This information is still relevant since not much has changed in the past 20 years. It’s a must read for any sports fan. My big concern was how LGBTQ people were talking about.
August 31, 2022
a disturbing look at the state Major Junior hockey leagues in the late 90s, with the added horror that the initiatives discussed didn't remedy the situation (unsurprisingly)
July 1, 2023
This book should be required reading for any parent that has their child enrolled in hockey. Every hockey fan in Canada should read this book.
April 26, 2024
Brutal read. Still feels very relevant. Would totally read an updated version on the last 25+ years.
September 16, 2025
Definitely a tough read, but ‘glad’ I did read it. So much I had no idea about that happened and still happens in our ‘national’ sport. More needs to be done to protect our children.
April 25, 2011
Fascinating but flawed look at sexual assault, primarily, in hockey (violence got a little bit of a short shrift). Very repetitive and could have covered a lot more information, but the information it did cover was certainly disturbing and eye-opening.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews