The father of a Manitoba hockey player who was a victim of a disturbing hazing incident says the boy was told to apologize to his team for going public with the abuse.

"The coach said the only way he'd get the respect back from the players is if he apologized for the way he handled it," the 15-year-old boy's father said.

Four boys on the Neepawa Natives of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League were subjected to a hazing ritual in which they were told to tie a string around their scrotum and pull a crate of water bottles around the dressing room.

"While he was doing that . . . the veterans would be throwing towels in there to make it heavier for him to pull," the boy's father said.

The league suspended 18 members of the Natives, including the head coach, an assistant coach and the team's captain and assistant captains. It also issued a $5,000 fine.

The assistant coach, Brad Biggers, was allegedly in the dressing room at the time of the incident and was suspended for five games. He has said he wasn't in the room at the time.

Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson said hazing can't be a part of hockey.

"There's suspensions that came down and you know what, that's the way it has to be," he said.

But experts say hazing continues to exist in sport.

"What it does is it earns players a right to be on the team and a right to perpetuate the abuse the following year. So to speak out requires enormous amounts of self confidence and courage," said Sandra Kirby of the University of Winnipeg.

A local radio station has pulled its advertising for the team to show its displeasure with the situation.

Neepawa, a town of only about 3,000 people, is 200 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

With a report from CTV's Jill Macyshon