Former junior hockey coach pleads not guilty in Regina sex offence trial
Bernard Lynch, 69, accused of assaulting 17-year-old in 1988
Warning: this story contains distressing details of an alleged sexual assault.
The trial of a former junior hockey coach accused of sexual offences against a 17-year-old in 1988 began at the Court of King's Bench in Regina on Tuesday.
Bernard "Bernie" Lynch is facing charges of assault and sexual assault. Lynch entered pleas of not guilty to both counts Tuesday morning.
Lynch, 69, coached hockey in North America and Europe for more than 40 years, including Saskatchewan. He was the subject of a CBC News investigation in 2021, in which parents and players alleged abusive behaviour.
On Tuesday the complainant testified about his life as a junior hockey prospect in the late '80s and how the culture of "what happens on the road, stays on the road" prevented him from coming forward for roughly 30 years.
Any information that could identify the complainant is protected by a publication ban.
The complainant testified that he was from a small city in Saskatchewan when, in the summer of 1988, he was invited by Lynch to be involved in a hockey school operated by the Regina Pats.
Lynch was an assistant coach with the organization at the time and personally invited the complainant to take part in the camp.
The complainant testified that the invitation was a dream come true. He said he believed it was a "good sign" that he could make the Pats team and have a future career in professional hockey.
The complainant said he understood he was going to stay with Lynch on the first night of the camp before moving to a hotel for the second night.
The complainant testified that he was immediately wary of Lynch's behaviour after arriving at the assistant coach's apartment in Regina.
He recalled being offered beer and, despite declining multiple times, ultimately felt pressured into drinking by Lynch.
The complainant was also offered the choice of sleeping on the couch or in the bed with Lynch, as Lynch suggested that players would often share beds while on a road trip.
The two were drinking at Lynch's table when the junior hockey coach mentioned how his neighbours would complain about him walking through the apartment while he was naked or in his underwear, the complainant said.
He testified that Lynch then suggested that the complainant should walk in front of the window naked. Although the complainant testified he was not comfortable doing anything like that, he said Lynch would repeatedly tell him to "do what the coach says" and "do what you're told" anytime he expressed discomfort at Lynch's suggestions.
Under questioning from Senior Crown Prosecutor Chris White, the complainant testified that he later tried to sober up by taking a shower.
The complainant said he believed that the bathroom door was shut and locked, but that Lynch eventually joined him in the shower.
The complainant testified that he did not want any romantic or sexual relationship with Lynch and had not invited Lynch to join him in the shower.
He alleged that Lynch told him that hockey players showered together so there was no problem with them showering together.
The junior hockey coach then grasped the teen's penis, the complainant said. He testified that he repeatedly said no, but that Lynch continued to touch him. The complainant said he was scared of what Lynch would do and was intimated because Lynch was a coach and an authority figure.
Lynch then told the teen that they should masturbate together, the complainant testified. He also said Lynch grabbed his hand and placed it on Lynch's genitals.
The complainant said he agreed to masturbate Lynch after being told that if he did so that would be the end of it. He then got out of the tub, got dressed, then refused to sleep in the same bed as Lynch that night and slept on the couch.
The next day, at the hockey camp, Lynch teased and physically touch the teen, the complainant testified. That included smacking the complainant on the rear, hitting him in the genitals with his key ring and punching the complainant's shoulder.
The complainant testified that he believed Lynch was doing so in order to feel out how was he feeling about the alleged sexual assault.
The complainant said he then stayed in a hotel room with Lynch, but that nothing occurred that night as they were in separate beds.
The complaint testified that he left the following morning for home, as he could no longer be around Lynch. He testified that he knew his chance for a future with the Pats organization was over.
The complainant said he only told his then-girlfriend a few days after getting home, and only after he broke down emotionally in front of her. The complainant testified that he did not inform his parents and they only found out after his then-girlfriend told them.
He said he felt compelled to stay quiet because of the unwritten code of hockey dictating that whatever happened in the dressing room, stayed in the dressing room. He said he thought going public would negatively effect his career as a professional hockey player.
The complainant went to police approximately 30 years after the alleged assault. He said he only did so once news stories emerged about Lynch being investigated by the RCMP and returning to coaching. The complainant said time had made him strong enough to realize that someone needed to prevent Lynch from hurting others.
Lynch's trial is being held in front of judge alone, with Justice Peter T. Bergbusch is presiding over the case.
Wednesday will begin with cross examination of the complainant, followed by his then-girlfriend testifying Thursday.
Defence attorney Andrew Hitchcock confirmed that Lynch is likely to take to the stand in his own defence later this week.
The trial is scheduled to continue through this week.
Support is available for anyone who has been sexually assaulted. You can access crisis lines and local support services through this government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.
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