SUICIDE: BCAHA FINALLY RESPONDS TO RICCIUTIS

It's taken almost three months and considerable pressure but the B.C.
Amateur Hockey Association has finally responded to the parents of Jason
Ricciuti.

The 15-year-old goalie died by suicide in late November while on a road trip
with the Kelowna Junior Rockets midget AA team.

Ricciuti was found dead by his teammates in a Surrey hotel room.

He had earlier been found with marijuana and was facing disciplinary action.

Since then, his mother Patti and father Terry Flamond have pushed for a
review of the zero tolerance rule invoked by the Kelowna Minor Hockey
Association and the BCAHA in all cases where players are caught with drugs
and alcohol.

While they understand the need for the rule, Ricciuti and Flamond say there
are no parameters given for the punishment if the rule is broken.

Last Sunday, BCAHA president Ed Mayert finally responded to Ricciuti with an
e-mail.

"He said the executive would be reviewing the rule and and that he would get
back to me in two or three weeks," Ricciuti said

"He also said the zero tolerance rule is used all across Canada.

She feels her son might still be alive if he had clearly understood the
penalty for breaking the zero tolerance rule.

"I know that in Jason's mind, he took this too seriously. He couldn't handle
it, couldn't handle the embarrassment," Ricciuti said

"He thought he was going to get suspended from the team because of what
happened to another player."

Ricciuti and her husband believe their should be a buddy system put in place
for players who face disciplinary action on the road.

Her son was left alone after being told of his possible suspension, a
situation she feels should not be repeated.

"The same scenario could easily happen again," Ricciuti said. "I want to see
something come out of this, some changes to the way they deal with
discipline."

A coroners report on Jason's death has yet to be released.

Ricciuti credits an editorial in a publication called B.C. Hockey Now for
perhaps pushing the BCAHA to finally respond to their request.

"The editor of Hockey Now, David Banks, wrote this editorial saying he
couldn't believe we hadn't heard anything," said Ricciuti.

"That was last Saturday and by Sunday morning there was this e-mail from the
BCAHA."

Neither that organization nor Kelowna Minor Hockey replied to the Capital
News requests for an interview in the days following Jason's death.