Cochrane hockey player Justin Barrett is a pioneer in his sport. He didn't invent a new hockey technique or create a fancy new move on the ice.
Cochrane hockey player Justin Barrett is a pioneer in his sport.
He didn't invent a new hockey technique or create a fancy new move on the ice. But he does play for the Calgary Pioneers - who truly live up to their trailblazing name as the only gay hockey team in the city, and possibly even the province.
Barrett is a Calgary police officer who grew up in Cochrane and still calls this town home. When he heard earlier this year about the Winsport Hockey Canada League recreational hockey team - founded in 2015 and made up completely of gay players - he jumped at the chance to sign up.
“In the past, I had felt not part of the team, ” said the 41-year-old left winger, who started playing hockey in his 20s, but took a break after some bad experiences. “I wanted to get back into it and I thought that was a good fit. ”
Barrett said the hockey itself is the same for the Pioneers as with any other team - but the headspace for him and his teammates is definitely not.
“The biggest difference is you can be yourself. You don't have to worry about any stigmas attached to being gay, ” he said. “It doesn't matter who you are - you can be yourself with a group of guys … (and) not fear for your safety, not fear for being attacked for who you are. ”
Fellow player Justin Connelly - who has lived and breathed hockey since he was four years old - joined the Pioneers last season, shortly after he shared publicly to family and friends that he is gay. He said being in an inclusive environment made a big difference to his personal journey.
“Joining the team actually helped me become comfortable with myself, ” said the 25-year-old. “With hockey, it's a typical ‘masculine' sport … we can change the culture within that. ”
Gay athletes have inspired a wave of acceptance within the wider community of sport, which at times in its history has been less than accepting of players who identify as LGBTQ.
“I feel that I've seen sports struggle a lot (in the past), ” said Barrett. “The last few years, you've seen a lot of pro gay players come out. The younger generation is more accepting - it's different than it used to be. ”
Barrett pointed to Brian Burke, president of operations for the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames, as a leader in the movement toward athlete inclusion. Burke co-founded You Can Play - an organization that advocates to end homophobia in sport - in honour of his late son Brendan, a hockey player who died in a car accident shortly after announcing publicly he was gay. The Pioneers have a strong partnership with the group, and Connelly himself is an ambassador. This Saturday, the team is hosting a fundraiser for You Can Play at Dicken's Pub in Calgary.
“You hear that language, ‘That's so gay, ” (and) other demeaning terms, ” he said. “It's just part of the culture and we're trying to change that culture and that language. ”
Connelly said all politics aside, the team is doing pretty well this season - they're 5-2 so far, which puts them third in their division - and he's proud of their level of play. Now that word is spreading and more players are reaching out, it's his hope to field a second team next season and possibly move toward a full gay hockey league in the future, like Toronto has.
“Other cities … have multple teams, ” he said. “It would be great if we could get there at some point. We do hope to grow to some more. ”
