Oshawa Generals apologizing after sending letter asking smelly fans to shower before game

FILE - Oshawa Generals fans celebrate as their team score their first goal against Kingston Frontenacs during OHL action, at the Tribute Communities Centre, in Oshawa, Ontario on Sunday January 14, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

The Oshawa Generals have apologized after sending a letter to season ticket holders in which they asked those who went to the gym or “did something that produced body odor” to “shower before attending the game.”

“To help ensure a clean, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for everyone, we kindly ask for your cooperation with a few simple hygiene practices,” the letter from Jason Hickman, the junior ice hockey team’s director of ticket sales and service, read.

After the letter, which was sent on Tuesday, surfaced, the Generals on Thursday posted a statement on their social media, saying, “We took a penalty on that last one. It’s not our place to overstep like we did.”

The team added, “We are sorry, and hopefully we can wash this one off.”

Lisa Morin, who has been a season ticket holder for 43 years, told CTV News Toronto that she’s never received a letter like that before.

“People need to be clean when they go to the game,” Morin said.

“(The team) did what they had to do.”

In an interview with DurhamRegion.com, Hickman said he got a lot of people complaining about the person next to them smelling like “cat pee, bad breath, this and that, and everything else.”

Several people who spoke with CTV News said they were baffled that the Generals even had to make the request.

“I’d be pretty confused if I got a letter telling me to take a shower before I went to a game, honestly. Like I’d think it’s a mistake,” one person said.

The Generals play in the Ontario Hockey League. They currently have 12 wins and 26 losses this season, which is the worst record in the OHL.

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Allison Hurst