A program aimed at teaching OHL players respect for women will be piloted by the Kitchener Rangers and Peterborough Petes before being introduced league-wide in November.

Ontario Hockey League vice-president Ted Baker says the league has been working with sexual assault support centres in Waterloo and Kawartha regions to develop a program similar to player education programs already developed about concussions, anti-doping and mental health.

"It's going to be an all-encompassing program talking about respect for women [and] consent," Baker said.

Baker said the sexual assault program was not spurred by any specific high profile incident, but it does follow a string of sexual assault charges and investigations linked to a number of OHL players over the past several years.

Former Windsor Spitfire player Ben Johnson was convicted by a Windsor court for the rape of a drunk 16-year-old girl in the washroom stall of a nightclub.

Finalizing the program

"They use the terminology of a 'continuum of harm' to make sure we're recognizing all of those areas within societies where you could have harm to women," Baker said.

Sara Casselman with the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region told CBC they are putting the finishing touches on the program and training will begin in the coming weeks.

The Kitchener Rangers say they are awaiting further information before proceeding with the pilot program.

"As an organization we support the idea, and we look forward to our players partaking in the program, and in turn, having them become further educated on this matter," said Rangers communications manager Alyscia Warner.

'Microcosm of society'

Ted Baker said this player-education program will be similar to, and augment other, programs that focus on the entire person both on and off the ice.

"We are, in our opinion, a microcosm of society," Baker said.

"We're dealing with 16- to 20-year-old players because that's who we deal [with], but you could offer this program to a group of adults and I'm sure it would be well received – and it's probably overdue."

Ben Johnson, 22, a former Windsor Spitfire player in the New Jersey Devils player system was convicted of sexual assault on Sept. 1, 2016 and released by the Devils the same day. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Other player education programs include mental health, concussion management, drug education and anti-doping, harassment and abuse policies, diversity and bullying.