The OHL fined the Niagara IceDogs $100,000, suspended their GM and banned two players from the league as a result of an investigation.
The OHL announced sanctions against the Niagara IceDogs on Thursday.
IceDog players Joshua Rosenzweig and Landon Cato are no longer allowed to participate in the OHL for participating in serious violations of the player maltreatment policy. They also violated the OHL code of conduct, including but not limited to physical maltreatment and aiding and abetting.
IceDogs GM-owner Darren DeDobblelaer is also suspended from acting as the team GM for two seasons in part due to violating the league’s confidentiality directive while the investigation took place into the allegations. The team is fined $100,000 and will forfeit its first pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection draft.'
“The Ontario Hockey League received allegations that certain Niagara IceDog players had violated league policies including the Maltreatment, Bullying and Harassment Protection and Prevention Policy and our code of conduct,” said the OHL’s press release. “The league retained an independent third-party investigator to conduct a thorough investigation.
“The investigator interviewed approximately 15 former players, coaches, staff and team officials over a period of several months,” added the statement.
Commissioner David Branch advised DeDobbelaer that the investigation must be kept confidential and he should not speak with players or others concerning the subject matter, according to the release. The league said DeDobblelaer violated that directive.
“The protection of players on and off the ice is the paramount concern of the OHL,” the league said. “Violations of the OHL code of Conduct or the Maltreatment Policy, most importantly, puts player safety and experience at risk and impacts the reputation of our teams, league and of the sport of hockey.”
Cato, 20, was the captain of the IceDogs this season and had three points in 21 games. Rosenzweig, 20, was a goaltender on the team and had a 5-21-4 record with a 5.73 goals-against average and .868 save percentage.
Niagara finished last in the OHL standings with a 12-47-8 record.
DeDobbelaer became a majority owner of the IceDogs in July 2022 after the team was sold by Bill and Denise Burke. Their sons, former GM-governor-minority owner Joey Burke and former coach-minority owner Billy Burke, were suspended indefinitely in April 2022 following a separate investigation into their conduct in a text message conversation. The team was fined $150,000 on that occasion.
Wayne Gretzky became a minority stakeholder in the team as a result of that sale as well.
In 2019, the IceDogs agreed to pay a fine of $150,000 and lost their 2021 first-round pick in a settlement with the OHL for violating the league's recruitment rules.