Canucks Ban Reporter After Story on Ownership’s Other Business

The Vancouver Canucks have permanently revoked a reporter’s credential after he wrote a story that shed negative light on team ownership’s labor practices in a separate business.

Canucks beat reporter Trevor Beggs wrote a story for Daily Hive Vancouver in which he covered how Aquilini Vineyards—which, like the Canucks is owned by the Aquilini family—is seeking to distance itself from Harvest Plus, a labor contractor accused of falsifying visa documents for Mexican workers. A federal indictment alleges some of the workers were at Aquilini Vineyards, which is located in Washington state, in 2022.

Beggs has covered the Canucks for Daily Hive since 2019 and also co-hosts the Locked On Canucks podcast. On a recent episode of the podcast, he said he was escorted out of the arena during the team’s game last Thursday, and that Daily Hive took down the story about the vineyard labor entanglement. The Vancouver Sun also published an article on the matter.

Spokespeople for the NHL did not respond to a request for comment from Front Office Sports, nor did Daily Hive editors Amanda Wawryk, Imaan Sheikh, or Amir Ali. Canucks spokesperson Craig MacEwen sent FOS a copy of the team’s media access policy, but did not answer a follow-up email questioning if the policy was violated.

However, a Canucks spokesperson later sent a statement to the Globe and Mail alleging that the Daily Hive story “contains statements that are inaccurate, misleading, and cause reputational and commercial harm. The strategic use of language and framing of the article are sensational and take flippant liberties, particularly with the inclusion of the Vancouver Canucks in the headline and in the photograph. It is unquestionably defamatory to accuse an individual by implication or insinuation of committing a criminal act.”

“We view this matter as a marked departure from journalistic principles of fairness, honesty, objectivity, and integrity, and we remain committed to supporting accurate and responsible coverage,” the statement continued.

The Canucks added that the reporter’s credential “will not be reinstated” and said that “[t]here was no negotiation or a condition to have the article retracted to keep the credential.”

“I believe in myself as a journalist and as a reporter,” Beggs said on his podcast. “I always say to my kids, you know, you’ve got to learn something new every day. And I think there’s some learning experiences here for sure. But I believe in myself. And look, Canuck fans deserve people covering this team who are truthful and honest. And yeah, I believe I can be that guy. I know I can be that guy for Canucks fans.”

Despite the revoked credential, Beggs said that he plans to continue covering the team.

“I just got to say, no matter what happens, I’ll always be covering this team, because I have an unhealthy obsession with this crappy hockey team, man,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere, man. I’ll be writing about this team and talking about this team until no one wants to listen to me anymore.”

Regarding the Harvest Plus investigation, an official for Aquilini Vineyards told the Vancouver Sun that they had “no knowledge of any of these allegations” during their contract with the staffing contractors. 

“There have been no health and safety related complaints, human rights complaints or L & I claims on the basis of any of those allegations as against Aquilini Vineyards,” the official continued. “Aquilini Vineyards recently underwent a comprehensive DOL audit, unrelated to Harvest Plus, and received no citations or penalties.”

The federal government’s indictment reportedly said that Harvest Plus workers at Aquilini Vineyards were “forced to work in unsafe working conditions, including extreme heat, at times without drinking water.”

U.S. attorney Stephanie Van Marter declined to comment to the outlet on whether Aquilini Vineyards is currently under federal investigation in the case.