Manitoba First Nations denied injunction to stop split of junior hockey leagues
WINNIPEG — A judge has denied an injunction against the split of two Manitoba junior hockey leagues that some allege deliberately excluded Indigenous teams.
Justice Herbert Rempel said he could not rule on what motivated the split or whether racism played a role, but he recognized that junior hockey is important in First Nations communities as it provides entertainment and inspiration for youth.
“Losing that sense of pride has been painful,” he told court in his ruling on Friday.
All the teams were part of the Keystone Junior Hockey League until May when five teams left to create the Capital Region League.