The National Hockey League and the sport of hockey as a whole have been under the microscope lately, with the Kyle Beach-Brad Aldrich-Chicago Blackhawks sex abuse story and others coming to the forefront.

However, a Trenton man that was part of the sexual assault scandal at Maple Leaf Gardens said he recognizes it's part of a societal issue that can't be addressed with one swipe.

In part two of an InQuinte.ca exclusive conversation with Carey Durant, he described his harrowing experience in the late 1970s with MLG usher Gordon Stuckless as a rippling effect that is continuing to realize itself in various areas of society.

After resigning from the Hawks following the 2010 sexual assault incident, video coach Brad Aldrich was reportedly given a recommendation by the team when he applied for a job with a high school hockey team in Michigan.

That led to another incident involving a 16-year old boy on that team.

It all comes back to the power dynamic Durant mentioned before has been present in the overall societal system that he said needs to change to allow for a better future for all athletes and citizens.

He notes that abuse happens everywhere, not just boy's hockey.

"It happens in the workplace," he said. "I'm sure it has gone on in girl's hockey, and it's gone on in the NFL, it's gone on in the NBA. We've heard it going on in the military.

"The scariest thing is about though, when you think about the National Hockey League, if they were willing to protect some no-name video coach, who else are they willing to protect?
 
"He's really nobody in the big scheme of things. I know in hockey for a video coach, you can find anybody to run a computer these days."

"They protected this guy and gave him a recommendation to go to another job. That's what I think they're really guilty of. I think this system fails. It failed Sheldon Kennedy, it failed me, and it failed Kyle Beach.

Durant stresses that guys like Beach and Stuckless aren't going to change their stripes. He said they will continue to abuse until someone stops them.

'You can not be an abuser, and someone can change you, it's impossible, because if they can ever do that, then that proves that it's not a sickness, people do it on purpose."

Though he admitted his experience could have resulted in him walking away from the sport he loved and never looking back, Durant said he wanted to give back to younger players by coaching and ensuring the incidents that happened to him and many other players are things of the past.

For no fewer than 20 years, he coached various AAA and Junior A organizations, including the Toronto Red Wings, Ajax Attack, Bramalea Blues, and Wexford Raiders.

"Hockey just drove me, it gave me something to live for and it became a passion of mine. I was an okay player but obviously wasn't good enough. I decided to take up coaching and I said to myself, I'm going to coach and I'm going to try to be the best role model I can be, and protect kids."

That's also the atmosphere that the president of the Quinte Red Devils AAA association and Wellington Dukes' assistant coach Tyler Longo said he wants to help cultivate with his organizations.

"It's important to bring awareness to everyone that this isn't acceptable, and (work to eliminate) the stigma of where players don't feel like they can go and talk to, whether it's a coach or support staff," he said. "Hopefully, this will give the players a little bit more of that support to go and ask for the proper help."

As part of his role with the Dukes, Longo has helped head coach Derek Smith build a positive and open culture with the club, using important lessons they learned in their respective playing days from leaders such as Lou Crawford, Marty Abrams, Garry Lavender, and Dr. Robert Vaughan.

From the Red Devils' point of view, younger players are the focus, and Longo said the organization is giving players, particularly U13 and up, the power to speak to coaches on their own if they are facing harassment, excessive hazing, other inappropriate conduct, or simply need a listening ear on anything in their life.

"There was always that old saying that players always were afraid to talk to their coaches, just because coaches hold a certain presence," he explained.

"I think those days are gone, where not only are you a leader in what you're teaching on the ice, but you also have to be a leader and a positive person off the ice for the players for when they leave your organization, go out in the community and become a good person themselves."

Ultimately the future Durant said he wants to see is one that involves people of all ages not being afraid to speak out when they see an injustice.

"There are people that don't want to say anything, because of that whole power issue. Are they going to lose their jobs are going to be called liars? Because people are going to deny stuff."

Although he admitted the game is taking a hit public relations-wise, Durant said these difficult stories coming out now will benefit it in the long run, for players, their families, coaches, support personnel, and fans.

"A lot of fans are hurt because of this. To me the fans are the most important people, the people that really love the game," she said.

"There are many good people in hockey and management that are hurt too. Once that healing process starts to come, and people have more courage to step up to the plate and make things right I think the game is headed for better things.

He also heavily emphasized education for teams and individuals to know the warning signs, noting professional organizations should have an outside consultant on staff that fields any messages or complaints privately.

They would then determine if an incident needs to be internally investigated, before sitting down to interview everyone involved with the case and hold them accountable.

While behind the bench in minor and junior hockey, Durant coached many players that went on to NHL careers, including Mike Cammalleri, Steve Eminger, and many more who did not go onto a career in professional hockey that he still talks to.

"We talk about their wives, their kids, their careers, and what they're doing now. I've had kids from the NHL all the way down to doctors and lawyers to people that that work for the newspapers."

"There are lots of people I've met that are not NHL players that have impacted me a great deal in a very positive manner."

Click this link to read Part 1 of this story