Nunavut hockey team declines bronze medals over ‘inappropriate’ actions of players
Team Nunavut chef de mission points to ‘actions of individual members’ of under-18 male team
Team Nunavut hockey bags sit outside the terminal in Anchorage, Alaska, waiting to be loaded into freight trucks on March 9. (Photo by Dustin Patar, special to Nunatisaq News)
Team Nunavut’s under-18 male hockey team players did not accept the bronze medals they won Thursday at the Arctic Winter Games.
Nunavut defeated Team Yukon 6-2 to earn the third-place finish.
Nunavut’s chef de mission, Mariele dePeuter, posted a statement Friday on the team’s Facebook page at around 1 p.m., ET, or approximately 9 a.m. in Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley region, where the Games have been taking place since Sunday.
She said it “would not be appropriate” to accept the medals “due to actions of individual members of the team.”
DePeuter’s four-sentence statement did not explain what the players did, whether it was on the ice or off the ice, or how many players were involved.
“Team Nunavut values and recognizes the sprit of the Games and expects their athletes to demonstrate this to the highest level,” she wrote.
DePeuter declined comment when reached by Nunatsiaq News on Friday.
On Facebook, some commenters wondered what had happened. Others questioned why the entire team had to be punished for the actions of some of its members.
Nunatsiaq News is looking into this breaking story. Check back for more coverage.
Hers comes the ” boys will be boys ” comments .
Lol
If a team representative feels the teams actions required a severe consequence for their behaviour- good for her to have the courage to take this stand. More coaches should take this example and follow it. Obviously it was not 1 member of the team only. The name team suggests just that. All take the punishment for a few just like all benefit from actions and superior achievements of a few. There is so much more at steak than just winning a medal, we as teachers and coaches need this reminder. We are in the business of helping men and women grow in maturity and character and not get the notion winning matters more. Full support for the representative. Let’s the rest of us get our values in order.
“stake” not “steak”
Why? What happened?
Well why bother stating they “won’t be accepting their medals” if they do not include the reason(s) for this statement?!? … Otherwise it is sort of a waste of time for everyone! No?
They likely didn’t didn’t mention the reasons becuase they are minor age and also because it doesn’t really matter. What should matter is that they did something wrong and there was repercussions (they were punished).
Great job Team Nunavut. Parents and other authorities should follow suit so kids learn it is not okay to be bad.
I commend the leadership for upholding the values of the games. Reasons for few details shared with media can include ages of those involved and privacy. For those asking why the whole team suffers the consequence consider this is an international sporting event and teams receive sanctions and consequences as a team. What happens with respect to specific individuals will be left for their local sport associations to determine based on their rules and policies.
THANKS TO HER MAKING YOUNG MEN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTION,S HAVE REAL REASON’S NOT TOACT LIKE IT IS RIGHT TO ACT SHE SAID GOOD THAT EVERYONE WAS ON THE TEAM AND team has act all together as good team to make them real responsible Young Men
Wonder , if they are going to make a movie out of this inspiring move ?
Great decision. These lads need to learn that actions come with consequences. Hopefully the lesson has sunk in, but somehow I doubt it.
It was a proper decision by the Team Nunavut Chef de Mission; there have been too many times in the past that the code of conduct was abused and no consequences occurred .Too many of these small town ‘athletes’ act like spoiled brats and get away with it; the concept of team and appropriate behaviour is lost to them….
No class amongst youngsters these days?
What do you expect, this ant the 1950s !!
You need not poke at small town athletes. Many young folks have not had a good grounding in ethics. Look at NBA, NFL, and the recent hockey revelations. Even in finance and entertainment there are ethics issues. Good for the team leadership to send the message.
Good on the team officials for taking that stance. You win as a team and you lose as a team. For those who don’t agree that the whole team should suffer the consequences of a few of its members, you may also consider this, many times behavior is influenced more by peers than by authority figures.
Yes, “boys will be boys”. And they will remain boys until someone, like Ms. DePeuter, points out to them that, in order to move from “boy” to “man”, certain standards, values and ethics need to be developed and adhered to. Ms. DePeuter and her colleagues have given those boys an opportunity to gain something far more valuable than any medal, should they have the insight and guidance to accept it.
Players mean… two?
But the full team is shunned to experience the AWG joy of their hard work accomplishment reached. Unable to making family, friends and territory proud when presented with a bronze medal after a 6-2 bronze medal win.
“Team Nunavut values and recognizes the sprit of the Games and expects their athletes to demonstrate this to the highest level,” DePeuter.
Then the public is dropped into void of communication nothingness after… Nunavut declines the Bronze medal announcement.
A while back, a Nunavut MLA cabinet minister shows up to the legislature intoxicated.
The MLA is removed from their MLA cabinet ministerial duties and, when happened again, suspended from the legislature.
“In this house, we are expected to be able to conduct ourselves in a manner that provides excellent governance for Nunavummiut,” Brewster.
Are we to expect the Nunavut Government will make the announcement about suspending and removing all Nunavut MLA cabinet ministers, including the premier, from their minister portfolios?
What is your point here?
Hockey is a team sport. You win together and lose together. When any member disgraces the team then the whole team suffers.
bubba no bubba play got good shot thats why medal be for bubba
Well said Bubba!
Gotta luv the rumor mill. The latest (within a couple of hours) is that they eventually did accept the medals. Up to you Nunatsiaq and the chef de mission to clear up this half news release. Soonest please, sp that it can be put to rest??
Typical Canadian actions! Taking things away from the natives again! And this oppression has been going on for years. Stuff it canada
Oh Marty, stop the whining. And take the time to actually read the article. The “Natives” (as you call them) are taking the medals away from themselves, and good for them. As much as you’d like it to, this has absolutely nothing to do with “Canada”. The players who weren’t involved can thank the players who were for ruining what could / should have been a great experience for all of them.
Too bad our kids from kitikmeot don’t get to learn a lesson!! as they never get picked onto any Hockey Nunavut Teams haha..
Think he is saying our legislature is a team also??, so if one makes a mistake they should all be punished?? 🤣🤣🤣
It sounds like not all the kids were involved. I recognize it is a team sport, and declining the medal makes sense.
Barring the kids who weren’t involved from the ceremony to see their friends who received medals for other sports is categorically unfair.
These are kids. The world is harsh enough without us adding to it. I am stunned by the lack of empathy in these comments. There should be consequences for anyone who was involved, but I agree with those who have concerns about collective punishment. It doesn’t teach kids anything positive. It only creates resentment.
I agree. Good news, especially for young people, is always welcome in Nunavut. While I get why this decision might have been made, and the message that it’s trying to send, I don’t like the lack of explanation, and that makes me suspicious. Was it a few? The whole team? What happened? None of these questions have been answered, yet most on this comment board support the decision. It leads one to ask themself: based on what???