Incredible Story of Child Abuse

Former NHL player Patrick O'Sullivan has penned an incredible story of his life of abuse at the hands of his father, who was set on toughening his kid up to make the NHL.  It is incredibly well written, and shocking.  

Here's his learned conclusion about not staying silent and doing something when potential abuse is witnessed:

If you are wrong, that’s the absolute best case scenario. The alternative is that child is a prisoner in his own home. What you’re seeing in the parking lot or outside the locker room — whether it’s a kid getting grabbed and screamed at, or shoved up against a car — could just be the tip of the iceberg.

It’s so ironic, because the hockey community loves to talk about toughness and courage. In that world, courage is supposed to mean standing in front of a slap shot without flinching, or taking your lumps in a fight.

But that’s easy. That’s not real courage. Anybody can do that.

I guarantee you there’s hundreds of kids across North America who will get dressed for hockey this weekend with their stomach turning, thinking the same thing I did as a kid:

“I better play really good there, or tonight is going to be really bad.”


It just takes one person to act on their instinct and stand up for that child. That’s real courage. The kind we don’t always glorify in the hockey world.

I encourage you to read the whole thing here.