BREAKING: Hockey Canada instructs players under 18 to wear ‘bottom layer’ in locker room or change in bathroom stalls for ‘gender inclusion’

The policy demands that all minor hockey players wear a base layer when coming to the arena, a policy decision that was made to promote the inclusion of trans-identified players and to respect the privacy of boys and girls who might not choose to use their non-respective locker rooms.

Hockey Canada spokesperson Esther Madziya said in a statement to CBC News: "All participants have the right to utilize the dressing room or appropriate and equivalent dressing environment based on their gender identity, religious beliefs, body image concerns, and/or other reasons related to their individual needs."

Craig Robinson, president of Halifax Hawks Minor Hockey, defended the policy update and said, "Coaches can't always visually identify and automatically know what gender someone identifies with, so this just allows everybody to fit into that dressing room."

"This isn't just about gender, it's about everyone being comfortable," Robinson added.

The minor hockey coach outlined the new changes to players last week which resulted in pushback from parents who cited concerns about potential hygiene issues relating to having to wear sweaty gear and undergarments after practice. Robinson acknowledged their concerns but said it's a relatively small price to pay to ensure everyone feels included.

"It really doesn't take very long to jump into a washroom stall and do a quick change to get your base layer on underneath," Robinson told CBC. "Also these are pretty thin pieces of clothing and can quite often fit under a jacket or shirt anyway."

Aaron Gunn, who is running for conservative MP in North Island, slammed Hockey Canada on X, calling the decision "completely insane."