The Neepawa Natives former head and assistant coaches will see their league-enforced suspensions lengthened following an internal investigation on Neepawa's hazing incidents by the MJHL.
    In a release Tuesday, the MJHL announced former Natives head coach Bryant Perrier and assistant coach Brad Biggers will have their suspensions extended to last the entirety of the MJHL season.
    Perrier's suspension has been lengthened to April 1 while Biggers' is extended to July 1.
    Both coaches are no longer with the Natives organization but the suspensions will be in effect in all Hockey Canada jurisdictions.
    “As the head coach and leader of the club’s hockey operations, (Perrier) should have known that hazing activity was being undertaken by members of the team,” MJHL commissioner Kim Davis said in the release.
    “As someone in a position of authority and leadership he was responsible to know what was going on in the dressing room. He failed to do that, and is therefore accountable.”
    The MJHL responded to a complaint about hazing within the Native's dressing room earlier this year. Many of the Natives players received suspensions as a result of the actions while the RCMP also looked into the incident but decided against pressing charges in the matter.
    Following the suspensions and investigation by Davis in 2011, the MJHL also ordered an independent investigation to be conducted by a retired Winnipeg Police Service member.
    As part of the investigation, players, coaches and members of the Natives' board of directors as well as the parents of the complainant were interviewed.
    The report confirmed veteran players conducted hazing activities on rookies and there were at least four separate incidents of hazing.
    “The MJHL finds hazing totally unacceptable and it is clear that the suspensions are an indication of the strong view the League has on this type of behaviour,” said Davis.
    “Team leaders are responsible for their players and have an obligation to provide a safe environment at all times.”
    A number of recommendations are being forwarded to the MJHL's Board of Governors as a result of the report which include a new set of procedures being adopted to educate players about hazing, member clubs being fully accountable for hazing incidents, MJHL coaches being required to access professional resources concerning hazing from Coaching Manitoba, and players and coaches receiving an annual presentation on the implications of hazing, among other recommendations.
    The Natives team only has four players who were rostered at the time of the hazing incident.
    A community-organized 'free game' and hazing education awareness week were held last week with major success in both the community and area schools.