Crossing the Line
by Laura Robinson
VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT IN CANADA’S NATIONAL SPORT
“In Crossing the Line, Laura Robinson takes readers behind the rink’s gritty scenes, into the male-dominated, hero-worshipping world of hockey […]. The physical and emotional backlash is often devastating.” — Quill & Quire, on Crossing the Line (1998)
Hockey is part of the Canadian soul, yet its culture of sexual violence remains unexamined and unchanged.
The updated edition of Crossing the Line emphasizes the fact that the stories in the book did not end when it was published in 1998. They continue to be part of the lives of those who endured abuse in hockey, and they brought back similar, very troubling memories for others, many of whom contacted the author, providing additional original information for this book. New charges and court cases are now in progress.
Abuse in hockey takes many forms. It may be overtly sexual. It may be an overwhelming pressure on players—removed from the support of their families and often living far from home—to perform and to fit in. It often takes the form of degrading hazing rituals, many of which have violent sexual overtones, designed to take the players beyond their inhibitions and the normal limits of their aggression.
Robinson shows how the institutionalized abuse in hockey turns the players themselves into abusers. Yet when accusations are levelled against the players, team managers and owners rally around to protect them, applying pressure to have the charges dropped or the accuser discredited.
In 1998, Crossing the Line outlined cases for which there were media reports, charges, and/or convictions. The original text was thoroughly vetted by lawyers. Yet, despite the rigorous nature of the both the fifth estate documentary Thin Ice, which Laura researched, and this book, decision-makers in sport gave junior hockey’s rape culture no attention whatsoever—except to cover for the perpetrators. In short, little if anything has changed in 25 years.
Until now. The new edition of Crossing the Line brings together compelling new information that cannot be ignored.
(Photo: Laura Robinson)
100,000 words
RIGHTS SOLD
World: McClelland & Stewart, Fall 2026
ABOUT LAURA ROBINSON
Laura Robinson is a freelance journalist whose work on sports and gender issues has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Canadian Living, Toronto Life, Saturday Night, and Ms. magazine. She was the first Canadian to write about sexual abuse in sport in the 1992 Toronto Star feature, 'Sexual Abuse: Sport's Dirty Little Secret'. Robinson is the author of Crossing the Line: Sexual Assault in Canada’s National Sport, first published in 1988, and has also produced, written, and researched items for CBC Radio, CBC Television, TSN, the Women’s Television Network, and the National Film Board. In 1996 she worked with the CBC’s the fifth estate to produce the documentary Thin Ice, which looked at initiations and sexual abuse in junior hockey. The episode aired to an audience of a record 1.4 million viewers and was the winner of the 1993 Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Award.
In 2012, York University conferred her a Honorary Doctorate of Laws for her long-time commitment to the rights of women, children, and Indigenous peoples in sport and physical activity. She is a former member of Canada's cycling team, a former Canadian rowing champion, and competes in cross-country skiing.
