Former OHL goalie suing team for $300K, alleges racial abuse by club officials and mishandling of his shoulder injury: Reports

Tucker Tynan, former OHL goalie, is suing the Soo Greyhounds for $300k.

Tynan played in the OHL from 2019 to 2022. He spent his first year and a half with the Niagara Ice Dogs and was traded to the Greyhounds to end his OHL career.

Tynan is alleging that while he was with the Greyhounds, club officials mishandled his shoulder injury, insulted him with derogatory slurs (at least one of which was racist), advised him to self-medicate for pain and pressured him to play through the injury, according to TSN's Rick Westhead.

In the nine-page statement of claim filed on Feb. 6 in Ontario Superior Court in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Tynan alleges the team engaged in reckless negligence and racial harassment for weeks in 2022. According to TSN, Tynan also alleges the team's actions have caused him to suffer physical damages, emotional distress and a loss of enjoyment in life.

“...Can only do my best and try to hold them accountable,” Tynan wrote to TSN in a text message on Tuesday. “Some things are out of my hands.”

Tynan declined to say how many times Greyhounds staff allegedly used racist slurs against him.

“I'd rather not answer that, given the situation,” Tynan wrote.

Currently, Tynan's claims have not been tested in court, but Greyhounds president Tim Lukenda says they will vigorously defend themselves.

“The Soo Greyhounds have received the claim from Tucker Tynan,” Lukenda said in a statement to TSN Tuesday. “We intend to vigorously defend the organization against the allegations made. Our players' well-being is of utmost importance to us, and we take great pride in the treatment of our players both on and off the ice.”

The OHL also released a statement on the matter:

“I understand that the Soo Greyhounds, with the full support of the OHL, intends to defend itself against the allegations made by Tynan,” Branch wrote in an email to TSN on Tuesday. “Given the nature of the allegations and the fact that the matter is before the court, the OHL currently has no intention of conducting an investigation.”

---

Tucker Tynan's allegations against OHL team

Tucker Tynan claims he was injured during the first period of an April 1, 2022, game against Saginaw. The goalie alleges that he left the ice immediately after the injury and was met in the team dressing room by Greyhounds athletic therapist Julian Cooper, but he allegedly refused Tynan's request to be taken to hospital.

According to TSN, three days after the injury, Tynan met with Cooper before team practice and asked to see a doctor who specialized in shoulder injuries and to have medical imaging done, but the trainer refused the request.

Then, after his request was refused, he met with head coach John Dean and Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis and told them how much pain he was in. According to the claim, Dean called Tynan “derogatory and offensive language” and claimed the goalie was “selfish for not wanting to participate in the team practice.”

The goalie reportedly asked to sit out of a game on April 4 due to the injury, but the coach put him on the active roster.

Tynan returned home to Arizona in May and got imaging done and received an MRI, which showed a major injury:

“On Sept. 20, 2022, during Tynan's follow up with Dr. Nguyen, it was diagnosed that the MRI had shown a labrum tear, along with ligament tears,” the lawsuit said. “It was confirmed with Dr. Nguyen that this would require surgery.”

Tynan is currently playing professional hockey for the Fayetteville Marksmen in the Southern Professional Hockey League.