Hockey Canada has mandated all minor hockey participants wear minimum attire at all times in dressing rooms to promote inclusion and respect the privacy of everyone involved. .“This means that participants should arrive at the rink wearing a base layer (e.g., shorts and T-shirt, compression shorts and shirt or sports bra),” said Hockey Canada in a statement. .“A participant not arriving at the rink wearing their base layer can use an appropriate private space (e.g., private restroom stalls or empty/unused dressing rooms) to change into the base layer and then enter the team dressing room with the other participants.” .Hockey Canada said it believes all participants have a right to access safe, inclusive, and equitable dressing spaces. In this regard, it said all participants have the right to use the dressing room or appropriate, equivalent dressing environment based on their gender identity, religious beliefs, body image concerns and other reasons related to their individual needs. .It said it “believes in balancing the safety, privacy, modesty and wishes of our participants without compromising the aspects of camaraderie, social integration and bonding inherent in a team sport.” This policy attempts to meet these goals while providing a safe, respectful environment for participants. .Coaches and team staff are responsible for instructing players about the minimum attire rule and ensure they are complying with it. .It acknowledged the physical limitations of some facilities “and encourages associations to work creatively and proactively, using an athlete-focused, ethical, and values-based approach, with local facility management to ensure that appropriate and equivalent dressing environments are available to all participants who would prefer not to get dressed in the team dressing room.” .Hockey Canada said this policy applies to showers and will be an additional step in creating environments within which athletes feel safe and secure. When showers are not private stalls, it said they should be used in a manner respecting the privacy of all participants. .When it's open concept showers, it is encouraged all athletes wear certain minimum attire at all times, including swimwear. In order to facilitate this, participants could use a private washroom stall to change out of their base layer and into their swimwear prior to using the shower. .Similarly, Hockey Canada said people could dress in a private stall after they have completed their shower. .“Coaches and/or team staff should ensure they are able to supervise the dressing room while participants are showering, following ‘Rule of Two’ guidelines,” it said.
