Former Western Hockey League star and abuse survivor Sheldon Kennedy has been named to an independent three-person panel looking into hazing, abuse and harassment within the Canadian Hockey League.

Kennedy, Daniele Sauvageau and former New Brunswick premier Camille Theriault will also ben looking into why players might not feel comfortable reporting behaviours that contravene current policies and practices.

Earlier this year, a class-action suit was levelled against the Canadian Hockey League and its member teams by former players that said team officials either looked the other way when extreme cases of bullying, harassment and hazing were presented, or encouraged these practices.  

Last month, the CHL governors voted unanimously to create the independent panel. 

“The CHL is committed to the 1,400 young men who play in our league and the protection of our players has been and will always be our primary concern,” said CHL President Dan MacKenzie in a media release. “This is why we have assembled this Independent Review Panel to review the effectiveness of our current policies, player experience programs and procedures for reporting off-ice misconduct, to help ensure that we are providing the safest environment free of hazing, abuse, harassment and bullying.”

The goal is to have the panel’s report completed in time for the start of the 2020-2021 season.