愛污传媒

W5
W5

    • How did a healthy teen die at a minor hockey camp?

    Share

    W5 has removed or blurred certain visuals depicting various hockey players to ensure no one misinterpreted the program to suggest every hockey player visually represented was at the camp. While CTV does not agree such an interpretation is reasonable it has removed or blurred the visuals in the interests of abundant caution.


    Our story on the life and death of Ben Teague began with a tip.

    In the summer of 2022, I received a phone call suggesting that I learn more about a lawsuit filed by a family who lived in Oakville. Greg and Susan Teague鈥檚 17-year-old son Ben had died during a team bonding event in September 2019.

    The Teagues had filed a $1-million wrongful death lawsuit against the , the team鈥檚 coaches, the Ontario Minor Hockey Association and the YMCA camp where Ben had died. No media had reported on their claim.

    Supplied photo of Ben Teague playing for the Oakville Rangers Hockey Club.

    Over the past year, since reporting on a scandal about an involving Team Canada junior hockey players, a day doesn鈥檛 go by without someone emailing or sending me a direct message on Twitter that usually begins, 鈥淵ou should look into鈥︹

    There are so many suggestions, we have to carefully choose the stories in which we make an investment of time and resources.

    I obtained the Teague鈥檚 12-page statement of claim, filed on Jan. 26, 2022. It detailed how Ben and his teammates had allegedly been drinking alcohol at a team-supervised event and that Ben had died after going into medical distress during the middle of the night.

    The claim states that "had the individual Defendants acted appropriately and sought medical attention when it was obvious, or ought to have been obvious, that Ben was in need of same he would not have died that morning鈥 The Plaintiffs further plead that had the individual Defendants properly monitored the players and prevented them from consuming alcohol that Ben would not have died that morning."

    The statement also detailed the Teagues鈥 attempts to make the Rangers team and its coaches accountable. It said the Teagues filed a complaint with the , the association that has oversight of hockey leagues in the province. The OHF did not respond, so the Teagues emailed again two months later.

    The OHF responded the same day, telling the Teagues their case was being investigated by Crawford & Co., an insurance company. The Teagues allege no one has followed up with them since then.

    In a statement of defence, the Rangers, their coaches, and the OMHA argued that player codes of conduct "precluded the underage players from drinking alcohol. The [Oakville Rangers] had Zero Tolerance for alcohol consumption. All players, including Benjamin, were aware that they were not permitted to bring alcohol to the event and were not to consume alcoholic beverages while in attendance at the event."

    The defendants also argued that the coaches "provided reasonable and appropriate supervision to the players, taking into consideration the age and experience of the players. The players were 16 and 17 years old."

    Susan and Greg Teague have been searching for answers since their 17-year-old son Ben died while at a team retreat in 2019 (W5)

    Reporting on the death of children is difficult, obviously. Instead of going to the Teagues directly, I reached out to their lawyer and asked whether he would ask the family to meet with me, on their terms, in a place of their choosing.

    We agreed to meet in their backyard so I could hear their story. There would be no reporting unless we all agreed to move forward. The initial terms were simple. It was up to the Teagues to sleep on it and speak with their other children before deciding whether they wanted to work with us.

    I took notes during our meeting.

    "I鈥檇 like to put out a bulletin in a newspaper telling parents, 'Do not trust these people,'" Greg Teague told me. "We have advanced so much as a society. But in hockey, there is still drinking and naked hazing. Twenty years ago it was all out in the open and people said, 'Well, that鈥檚 just hockey.' Now, it still happens but it鈥檚 hidden. They could have prevented this if they had just properly supervised these kids. They had no right to take these kids on an overnight trip and not watch them."

    "I want those coaches to say they are sorry," Susan Teague said. "I need them to be held accountable. I want my son鈥檚 reputation back. These teams and leagues say they have rules that are followed, that there is zero tolerance for alcohol consumption by minors. Well, in this case, there have been no consequences. The OHF told us that it was investigating. How is it possible coaches under investigation are still coaching and that there are no consequences for players drinking under age? Within a week of Ben鈥檚 funeral, the team turned the page and was planning a trip to California."

    Susan explained that when it became clear to her that Ben鈥檚 death was not being properly investigated by the OHF or the police, she began her own investigation. She began inviting Ben鈥檚 teammates and their parents to her home to find out what had happened at the camp.

    The Teagues were told that in September 2018, during a team building event at the camp in Ben's first year with the Rangers, Ben was one of the rookie players who was directed by the team's senior players to strip naked and try to avoid being "tagged."

    Ben was the last player caught and for that, won rookie of the year on the team, according to Ben鈥檚 mom, Susan. She says she was told this by Rangers coach Mark Moro.

    "Our story is a story about hockey culture because what we have been told time and time again is that team bonding is something that takes place through shared secrets," Susan told me. "After Ben鈥檚 death we had a number of boys tell us, 'What happens on the team stays on the team.'"

    The mother of one of Ben's teammates told her that during the Rangers' team building event at the same YMCA camp in 2018, her son passed out and collapsed in the woods. The mother says she never brought it up with the coaches.

    "I think she worried her son would lose ice time," Susan said.

    The Teagues say that they are determined to find justice and accountability.

    I鈥檝e talked with several lawyers not involved with this case about the Teagues' decision to go public with their story. The lawyers tell me that the family in sharing their story has given up some of its leverage.

    "In a case like this, one of the ways you can maximize the amount you get in a settlement is by agreeing to sign a non-disclosure agreement so the defendants can avoid public scrutiny and pressure and more questions about other cases that might have come up over the years," one of the lawyers told me. "I suppose the family decided that telling their story would help them in some way, and that it is in the public good to make sure the public knows about stories like this."

    'Our story is a story about hockey culture because what we have been told time and time again is that team bonding is something that takes place through shared secrets,' Susan Teague told W5.

    Watch 'What Happened to Ben' in our video player at the top of this article, or on CTV W5's official channel

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Israel launches strikes on military targets in Iran, escalating Mideast wars

    Israel pounded Iran with a series of airstrikes early Saturday, saying it was targeting military targets in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired upon Israel earlier this month. Explosions could be heard in the Iranian capital, Tehran, though there was no immediate information on damage or casualties.

    Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others helped save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.

    Canada

    • The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB) has uploaded dozens of dashboard camera videos from the 1970s to their YouTube channel.

    • Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others helped save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.

    • A Canadian navy missile test was aborted mid-flight this week after controllers lost communication with the projectile off the coast of southern California.

    • A former Alberta teacher has been sentenced to four years for sexually abusing a student.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

    Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

    He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    • The final count of ballots in the 2024 B.C. election begins Saturday, with more than 66,000 mail-in and absentee votes potentially yet to be counted across the province's 93 electoral districts.

    • There were tense moments at a ferry terminal outside Victoria, B.C., on Friday after the lion鈥檚 share of standby spots on an early sailing were claimed by 鈥渁ssured loading鈥 passengers 鈥 leaving regular customers who had been waiting for hours out of luck.

    • The countdown to the arrival of Taylor Swift鈥檚 Eras Tour is on, with three dates planned in Vancouver this December - and some condo owners are looking to cash in on the fan frenzy.

    • Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others helped save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.

    • One person has been rushed to the hospital following a shooting in North York.

    • A CAMH staff member has been seriously injured after being stabbed by a co-worker Friday night.

    • The Alberta legislature is set to reconvene on Monday and the Danielle Smith government will be providing more details about its plans for the session.

    • Bill Wilson looks back fondly but shows no signs of stopping as he wraps up a century.

    • An investigation into the death of a man in Calgary police custody earlier this month has concluded that officers did not contribute to his death and that he was cared for properly.

    • Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say a 14-year-old boy from Bridgewater, N.S. is facing several charges in connection with threats made against a Catholic high school in eastern Ontario.

    • A Montreal man is charged with first-degree murder in connection to the stabbing death of a woman at a park in Ottawa鈥檚 south end on Thursday.

    • Ontario Provincial Police are investigating after a body was found in Perth, Ont. Friday afternoon.

    • Quebec's social services minister says he's outraged by reports that educators at a detention centre for youth in Montreal had sexual relations with minor detainees 鈥 and that one of the employees allegedly had a baby with a teenage resident.

    • Two minors were in court Friday to face charges after four teenagers were stabbed outside a Montreal high school.

    • Infectious disease specialists are concerned about a rise in the number of 'walking pneumonia' cases and that the disease is appearing in younger children.

    • A former Alberta teacher has been sentenced to four years for sexually abusing a student.

    • A second person has been charged in connection with the death of a man in the Kingsway area earlier this year.

    • The Alberta legislature is set to reconvene on Monday and the Danielle Smith government will be providing more details about its plans for the session.

    • The GoFundMe page for the family of an employee found dead at a Halifax Walmart last weekend has paused donations after almost $200,000 was raised in roughly 24 hours.

    • Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say a 14-year-old boy from Bridgewater, N.S. is facing several charges in connection with threats made against a Catholic high school in eastern Ontario.

    • Eviction day is one week away and the number of tents in the median of University Avenue in Halifax is steadily decreasing ahead of the city-imposed deadline.

    • Winnipeg police are looking for a suspect after a woman's dorm room was broken into at the U of M and she was assaulted.

    • Repairs to the historic 110-year-old rail bridge at The Forks could come with a multi-million dollar price tag.

    • Manitoba RCMP are providing an update to a crash on Highway 1 that killed one person on Wednesday.

    • Saturday will mark the end of the CFL regular season, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders will have their eyes on Winnipeg鈥檚 matchup versus Montreal to know if they have a chance of clinching the West Division.

    • With an attempt to address the shortage of housing available in the community, the City of Yorkton has started a housing incentive program where new builders will receive a 50 per cent rebate on residential lots, and a full tax exemption for five years.

    • As the final day of voting for the Saskatchewan election inches closer, voters may be wondering when official winners will be declared.

    • Geovanny Villalba-Aleman, the man who stabbed three people in a gender studies class at the University of Waterloo, says he 鈥榓cted dumb鈥.

    • All the evidence has now been called at the trial of Erick Buhr, who has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder in the death of his grandmother, Viola Erb.

    • Residents spotted smoke coming from a waste management site in Waterloo on Friday afternoon.

    • A Saskatchewan woman is worried her child might die before receiving life-saving surgery and tests as he sits on the province's surgical waitlist.

    • The Saskatchewan RCMP is releasing the names of two suspects arrested on Thursday for a violent vehicle theft that triggered a widespread police search.

    • Police have still not confirmed the identity of a body discovered in Prince Albert last week.

    • The Town of Cochrane plans to roll out its $10-lot program in a month or two.

    • Two people 鈥 one from Timmins, the other from Kapuskasing -- have been fined more than $7,000 for camping violations, including empty septic tanks directly onto the ground.

    • The federal government is spending a significant amount of money to improve Indigenous student learning across Ontario.

    • A new staff report calls for homeless encampments to be allowed even closer to residential neighbourhoods, reducing the buffer zone from 100 metres to 25 metres.

    • London police have issued a warning to the public following an increased number of overdoses in the area of Queens Avenue and Adelaide Street North.

    • The London Knights picked up an overtime win at Canada Life Place Friday night.

    • Provincial police say there is an active investigation going on in the Town of Huntsville.

    • Several students have been banned from being spectators at school sporting events, and others suspended from school, after verbal and physical exchanges at a high school soccer game.

    • A 15-year veteran officer with the South Simcoe Police Service has been charged with discreditable conduct following an allegation of sexual assault.

    • The Windsor Police Service is investigating a suspicious death in south-central Windsor.

    • A Harrow school is memorializing two students and their mother, who were tragically killed in June.

    • The Gordie Howe International Bridge will serve as a new crossing for vehicles, but many walkers and cyclists are also excited about the opportunity to access the U.S. in a different way.

    • The final count of ballots in the 2024 B.C. election begins Saturday, with more than 66,000 mail-in and absentee votes potentially yet to be counted across the province's 93 electoral districts.

    • There were tense moments at a ferry terminal outside Victoria, B.C., on Friday after the lion鈥檚 share of standby spots on an early sailing were claimed by 鈥渁ssured loading鈥 passengers 鈥 leaving regular customers who had been waiting for hours out of luck.

    • Hulitan Early Years Centre is a brand new, 48-seat childhood learning centre in Colwood. It was built to support Indigenous children throughout the capital region.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • About 15,000 students are enrolled at Lethbridge鈥檚 post-secondary schools, and now the city is working with those schools to try to find ways to get them s to stick around a while.

    • With Halloween less than a week away, organizations in Lethbridge are preparing to get in on the trick-or-treating fun.

    • The City of Lethbridge is bringing forward a water conservation policy, the first of its kind for the city.

    • The union that represents hospital workers across the province is used a symbol from Greek mythology Friday in Espanola to drive home its campaign about the perils of privatization in health care.

    • CTV's Coats for Kids is nearing the end of its donation window, with the need as strong as it鈥檚 ever been.

    • The Anishinabek Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police are investigating the circumstances around a death in Fort William First Nation.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 愛污传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 愛污传媒