Niagara IceDogs receive sanctions for bullying, harassment and maltreatment; players banned from OHL
The Ontario Hockey League has announced that the Niagara IceDogs have been sanctioned for violating “league policies including the Maltreatment, Bullying and Harassment Protection and Prevention Policy and our Code of Conduct.”
In a league statement, the OHL said it retained a third-party investigator to investigate the claims. According to the league, approximately 15 former players, coaches and other team officials were interviewed over several months, confirming the violations took place.
The OHL did not elaborate on the specifics of the investigation or the incidents that took place.
The league levied some extensive sanctions against the team, including:
- A $100,000 fine
- The loss of the team’s first pick in the 2024 OHL Draft
- GM Darren DeDobbelaer has been suspended as GM until June 1, 2025.
- Goaltender Joshua Rosenzweig and defenseman Landon Cato have been banned from playing in the OHL.
Rosenzweig, 20, had a 5-21-4 record in 33 games with the IceDogs this year. He was the 22nd-ranked North American goaltender for the 2022 NHL Draft but was passed over.
Cato, the team’s captain, had three points in 21 games this year. The 20-year-old had 21 points in 123 games with the IceDogs over three seasons.
The league statement said the players “participated in serious violations of the Player Maltreatment Policy and have violated the OHL Code of Conduct including but not limited to Physical Maltreatment and Aiding and Abetting respectively.” Both were eligible to return as overage players for the 2023-24 OHL season.
According to the OHL, DeDobbelaer was ordered to not speak with the players or staff involved during the investigation. They said that DeDobbelaer violated “the confidentiality directive of the league.”
The IceDogs came last in the OHL this season with a 12-47-8-1 record. The team made two selections in the top five of the OHL Draft, taking highly rated prospect Ryan Roobroeck with the second overall pick.