Some Ontario Hockey League fans were told to freshen up before heading to the rink this week after a team executive for the Oshawa Generals sent a hygiene reminder to season ticket holders.
An email labelled “Gens Information” was sent out on Feb. 10 by Jason Hickman, the Oshawa Generals’ director of ticket sales and service, and quickly spread across multiple social media platforms.
While fans were thanked for their support, the majority of the email asked for spectators to be mindful of cleanliness while attending games at the Tribute Communities Centre.
“If you went to the gym or did something that produced body odor, please shower before attending the game,” the email read.
The email also encouraged fans who were feeling unwell to stay home and reminded attendees to use hand-sanitizing stations and cover coughs and sneezes.
“Please make use of the hand-sanitizing stations located throughout the arena, cover coughs and sneezes, and be mindful of personal cleanliness while sharing our space with fellow fans.”
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“These small actions make a big difference in keeping our community healthy and our events running smoothly,” the email concluded.
After the message began circulating online, the team addressed the situation publicly Thursday afternoon, posting an apology on Facebook.
“We took a penalty on that last one. It’s not our place to overstep like we did. We are sorry and hopefully we can wash this one off,” the statement read.
Colin Gaudon, a visiting London Knights supporter from London, Ont., told Global News that the situation provided easy material for rival fanbases.
“It’s quite interesting, I always thought that when you say the fans stink, I’d never took it literally, and if fans stink … come on guys, really? Represent your team — don’t stink,” he said.
Global News reached out to the Oshawa Generals for comment but did not hear back in time for publishing.
– With files from Global News’ Moosa Imran
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
