In a move to appear more “inclusive” and politically correct, Hockey Canada has removed “midget” from its age groupings among other terms.
Other terms to be removed include bantam, novice, atom and peewee. The change is expected to come into effect next season.
“We want to be an inclusive brand, we want to be an inclusive sport, we want to be an inclusive organization,” said the organization’s vice-president of marketing and communications Mark Halliday.
The term “midget” has long been used as a youth age category title for sporting leagues. It refers to kids between the ages of 15-17. However, the word is considered a derogatory slur by some.
Organizations advocating for the little people community have lauded the effort as respectful and considerate of their dignity.
“We want to raise awareness to say that this word is not appropriate anymore,” said Jessica Hayhoe, the vice-president of Alberta Little People Association.
The sport of hockey has recently been embroiled in a debate over its role in Canadian identity.
The host of Coach’s Corner, Don Cherry was recently fired by Sportsnet over comments calling on Canadians to wear a poppy on Remembrance Day. The mainstream media and faux outrage mob misconstrued Cherry’s comments leading to public outrage over the incident.
Cherry has since stated that the comments were taken out of context and has since started his own podcast called “Don Cherry’s Grapevine.”
As a response to Cherry’s comments, “The Social” host Jessica Allen got into hot water after suggesting that those who liked the sport were “unthoughtful white boys” who were bullies.
Hockey star and author, Theo Fleury spoke to True North saying that CTV had a “double standard” in its response to comments by Allen.
“Every small town who has a rink is the hub for the community. Hockey gives Canadians a sense of pride. It’s our identity,” said Fleury in defence of the sport.
