THUNDER BAY – After months of silence, the Fort Frances Lakers Hockey Association has spoken publicly for the first time about allegations former coach Bernie Lynch had inappropriate contact with a player on the Superior International Junior Hockey League team.
The club was contacted by tbnewswatch.com in mid-January, and at the time refused comment. Hockey Canada at the time confirmed an investigation was ongoing, but refused further comment about the allegations.
Last Thursday CBC ran a story, complete with screen shots of disturbing and inappropriate text messages between Lynch and an unnamed 20-year-old player.
Lynch was hired last fall to coach the team, a last-minute replacement when long-time coach Wayne Strachan decided not to return for the 2020-21 campaign. He was given an eight-month contract. The team played a handful of exhibition games before the SIJHL season was shut down for good due to the pandemic.
Lawyer Doug Judson, who is representing the Lakers, on Monday released a statement stating the team became aware of the allegations on Jan. 1 and a day later, the board suspended Lynch without pay, ordering him to not have any further contact with players or other members of the organization.
“Members of our organization and the Fort Frances community have been deeply distressed by these events,” the release reads.
“The FFLHA prioritizes the safety, healthy development, and emotional and mental wellbeing of our players. We undertook a thorough hiring process and reviewed all available information on the qualifications and personal suitability of candidates for this position. No past misconduct was evident from any candidate during that process, including through any criminal record or vulnerable sector checks.”
Lynch, 66, has also coached in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, the American Collegiate Hockey Association, the Western Hockey League, in Sweden and the Czech Republic. He was most recently with the Edson Aeros of the Western States Hockey League.
When news broke of Lynch’s suspension in Fort Frances, a member of the hockey community in Edson, Alta. contacted tbnewswatch.com, alleging similar behaviour by Lynch involving a different player on the WSHL team. They said they contacted the league, but nothing was done.
Axel Axmann, president and general manager of the Aeros, countered, saying an unsigned, written complaint about Mr. Lynch's behaviour was sent to WSHL commissioner Ron White on Jan. 29, 2020 and forwarded to him.
"I immediately took action and spoke with Mr. Lynch and the player who I believe was the subject of the letter as the player was not identified. I followed the discussion with written documentation to Mr. Lynch about his conduct and changes that need to be made. Mr. Lynch responded that he took the matter seriously and would adhere to the requests made in my email to him," Axmann said in an email.
None of these allegations have been proven in court, no criminal charges have been filed and until the Lakers suspended him, there were no red flags raised about Lynch’s conduct in any other hockey stops.
According to CBC’s story, upon arrival in Fort Frances, Lynch at first acted like he was trying to advance the unnamed 20-year-old player’s career.
But then something changed.
"He would get mad if I didn't text him back right away. He would get mad even after games — like, we'd end at nine or 10 and I'd want to go hang out with my teammates," the player is quoted as saying in the CBC story.
The broadcaster published several text conversations, purported to be between Lynch and the player involved.
Judson said the team contacted its players to ensure they had the resources and supports they needed, adding the resources continue to be made available.
“This has had to be approached with sensitivity owing to the privacy interests raised by the misconduct,” Judson said.
The team will not say if more than one player was involved, stating it is up to the players themselves to decide what they would like to disclose publicly.
The team has asked the media and the public to respect the privacy of the Lakers players and their families, as well as others involved with the team.
Tbnewswatch.com in January contacted team president Gary Silander and replacement coach Ron MacKinnon, but was told the team would not comment. MacKinnon said he would talk about the team’s outlook for the season and other hockey related stories.
It's unclear if Lynch has retained legal counsel in this matter.
