On Jan. 14, former National Hockey League star Theo Fleury announced that he would file a complaint against his former junior hockey coach, Graham James, for alleged sexual abuse throughout the 1980s.
In Fleury’s autobiography Playing With Fire, he claims, after years of speculation, that James sexually abused him, and ties his behaviour during his NHL career to the experience. In Fleury’s own words, the alleged sexual abuse cost him his soul, and led to “a fifty million dollar career gone up [the] nose, down [the] throat, and into the hands of casino owners across the country.”
In Playing With Fire, Fleury describes a childhood in Russell, Manitoba, raised by an alcoholic father and a valium-addicted mother. Because Fleury and his two brothers were neglected by their parents, the hockey community in Russell became a support system. When Fleury was young, sports were his only escape. By playing sports he felt like he belonged somewhere for the first time.
At age 13, Fleury met James at the Andy Murray hockey school in Brandon, Manitoba. Shortly after, James became his coach and allegedly arranged things so Fleury would have to rely on him for everything. Fleury writes that despite his talent, James convinced him that he was the only person who could get Fleury to the NHL. Since Fleury thought his only worth was his ability to play hockey, he believed he had no option other than to accept James’ physical and mental manipulation. Fleury had never told anyone about the abuse because he did not want to jeopardize his chances of getting to the NHL. He truly believed that James controlled his destiny.
Despite his small size, Fleury made it to the NHL when he was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 1987. Given his size, Fleury decided he needed to protect himself on the ice, which he did with wild antics. He funnelled his anger from a troubled past into his play on the ice. Fleury quickly tumbled into mischief, abusing alcohol and drugs as coping mechanisms to deal with his past. He slept with many “puck bunnies” and cheated on his girlfriends and his wife, Veronica. Women became sex trophies, as he felt a need to prove his manhood. Fleury writes, “when I was on the ice I knew who I was, but I didn’t have an identity when I left the rink. I was completely lost so I did crazy things to try to find out who the hell I was.”
In 1997, NHL player Sheldon Kennedy pressed charges James for sexually abusing him in his youth. There was speculation at the time that Fleury was also abused, but he was not ready to speak publicly about it. At this point, his drug abuse, specifically his use of cocaine, became a serious problem. He coped with his problems with coke, alcohol, and women, but internally he wasn’t dealing with them at all.
In 1999, Fleury was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. After the playoffs they decided not to re-sign him and he was traded to the New York Rangers. His move to New York accelerated his addictions, and added a new one: gambling. Putting Fleury in New York was like putting a child in a candy shop. There was a lot of temptation, but since he was putting up points, no one intervened. He quit his habits temporarily in 2002 as he was controversially named to the gold medal–winning Canadian Olympic squad and the energy and adrenaline of the Games served as his drug.
Eventually, Fleury was placed in the NHL’s substance abuse program. Although he consistently failed his urine tests, the NHL did not intervene because he was a leading scorer. It was not until 2003 when he was playing for the Chicago Blackhawks that his battle with drugs and alcohol ultimately forced him out of the NHL.
His addictions continued past his time with the NHL and he almost ended his life with a gun in 2004. It was not until meeting his second wife, Jennifer, in 2005 that he began to turn his life around. Jennifer pushed him to be a better person and a better father to the children he had with his high-school girlfriend and ex-wife. In 2005, his parents apologized for their neglect during his childhood, which helped him move on. Fleury says he has not used drugs or alcohol since Sept. 18, 2005 and has been able to change from a self-harming addict into a confident man.
The stories in Playing with Fire are mainly about hockey, the games that he played, and the players he played with. Fleury speaks about the highs and lows of the game because essentially, that’s all his life was. The book is appealing to hockey addicts as it gives a great portrait of playing in the NHL, winning a Stanley Cup, and the national pride that one feels while playing for Team Canada.
Though his book is co-written by Kirstie McLellan Day, Fleury’s personality comes through in the writing. You feel the anger in his voice. While the book recounts many horrific and saddening events, Fleury also recounts funny anecdotes and personality profiles of other hockey players off the ice. He gives an inside scoop on many teammates he played with during his long career, offering an in-depth portrait of the reckless and childish life of many NHL players. His stories are entertaining, but are also placed in the book to raise awareness of the social problems in the NHL. Fleury believes if people had provided support, he wouldn’t have gotten into so much trouble. If people knew about his addictions and inappropriate behaviour, they should have done something to stop it.
Fleury writes like a stereotypical hockey player, using “puck slang,” and his ego comes through in the book. His writing is honest, and he personally attacks anyone who may have wronged or insulted him in life. Although you definitely feel pity towards Fleury while reading his story, it is hard to entirely dismiss his selfish actions towards his loved ones, especially his children.
Fleury’s story is shocking, and he uses the book to express remorse for his actions in the past. Most importantly, he uses the book as a means to spread awareness about sexual assault and urges anyone who has been assaulted to seek help. He ends with “so if you are a kid who is in the situation I was in, and somebody older is using you for sex, call for help. You can call the police or you can search for kids’ help lines on the Internet. Seriously, you are not alone. Pick up the phone.”
Winnipeg police say that they are now investigating the criminal complaint filed by Fleury against James.
