14-year-old Quebec hockey player says opponent used racial slur

A mediator is now involved after a14-year old minor hockey player from the community of Winneway, Que., says one of hisopponantscalled him "a savage" and taunted him with theN-wordwhile on the ice.

TysonMathias, who playson theMcDonald's Barracuda,Bantam Bteamsays the incident happened during a gamein Ville-Marie, Que., which is just near the Ontario border.

The team is made up mostly ofaboriginal players.

"To me it means that they'recalling us dirty. It hurts me,"Mathiassaid.

• Abitibi hockey association cracks down on racist jeers

CBC was not able to contactmembers of the opposing team for their account of what happened.

Christian Boul, thevice president of theAbitibi-Tmiscamingue hockey association and director of referees, saidboth sides met with officials Wednesday night.

"They were there to find solutions to that problem not about criticism or blaming each other," Boul said. Everyone was working to find a way forward, and "really solve that problem for good," he added.

This is not the first time the hockey association has had to deal withthis issue.The association has been working on the problem of racism since last November, when it said it was dealing with reports of insults being hurled at Cree children.

Half of the players of the Abitibi-Tmiscamingue leagueare aboriginal.

Officials will soon be doing a tour to emphasize that aboriginal players are an important part of their membership.

Referees are being to told to show no tolerance for race-based remarks.