Fans are angry after team names a disgraced 20-year-old player as Team Captain

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Josh Tupper
October 1, 2023 (11:13)

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Becoming the captain of a hockey team is supposed to be an honor, reserved for the most deserving of players. The captain should be a leader, both on and off the ice. They should be the type of player that everyone looks up to and someone who embodies the values of your entire organization.

For junior hockey teams choosing a captain happens far more frequently, especially with players graduating from the organization every 3 years.

While teams more often than not make the right decision, every once and awhile a team will make a decision so horrible it is universally detested by fans. Over the years fans have become more and more sensitive, it feels like the Red Deer Rebels completely missed the mark with their most recent choice for captain.

Yesterday the Rebels took to their Twitter account to announce their new leadership group.

Headlining their leadership group was new team captain Kai Uchacz. Uchacz, 20, went undrafted this past summer despite scoring 50 goals and adding 35 assists in just 65 games. So how did a 50 goal scorer with 85 points go undrafted?

In 2020-21 was removed from the Seattle Thunderbirds after an incident involving a teammate.

Kai Uchacz, was one of two players removed from the Seattle Thunderbirds roster ahead of the 2020-21 season due to racially motivated bullying of the team's lone black player, Mekai Saunders. Uchacz and the other player reportedly taunted Saunders horribly, calling hima racial slur and waving a banana in front of him, according to the Seattle Times.

The WHL opted to not enforce their zero tolerance policy towards Uchacz and instead he was simply traded to Red Deer. After the announcement of Uchacz fans were furious, sharing their opinion on the decision.

While we certainly don't believe that Uchacz should have his life ruined over this mistake, it does seem a little bit short sighted to make the young man captain of the team. Hopefully Uchacz can use his platform for good going forward, but this does appear to be another team making a choice that just makes their own life more difficult.

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