Local minor hockey officials were surprised to learn of the cover-ups made by Hockey Canada to pay settlements for alleged sexual assault claims without the knowledge of either their insurance company or with public knowledge. No one knew until the Globe and Mail disclosed that the funds had been created by clipping a portion of the registration fee paid by every male and female player registered by Hockey Canada. The player fees were intended to be used for emergencies medical and dental needs of players.
The first allegations of sexual assault became known as members of the Canadian World Junior Hockey team were accused following the tournament in London, Ontario in 2018. More recently, members of the 2003 Canadian World Junior Hockey team have come under suspicion for suspected sexual assault in Halifax. Now both allegations are being investigated and members of those teams will be expected to answer questions.
Hockey Canada has created a fund for uninsured liabilities. That fund reached a settlement with the young woman who sued Hockey Canada in 2018 for $3.5 million. There is an old saying “What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas.” Secrecy to protect athletes and Hockey Canada from embarrassment is prevalent. All sports like to sweep misbehavior under the carpet and hide those incidences from public viewing. Maybe Hockey Canada chose to not blemish the potential careers to those players.
Last month before parliamentary hearings, Scott Smith, Hockey Canada CEO told parliamentarians that Hockey Canada has on average one or two allegations of sexual assault annually over the past 6 years. It was a shocking revelation.
Last Wednesday, Hockey Canada announced that they would no longer use the fund to settle sexual allegations.
Hockey Canada is paying the price. National sponsors have withdrawn financial support. The federal government, who funded Hockey Canada to $5.78 million in 2021 are reviewing their payments.
Across Canada, local minor hockey associations will be facing more scrutiny from parents registering their children from Timbits through all of hockey.
Within Canada, Sheldon Kennedy’s Respect Group has certified 1.2 million Canadians involved in sport to prevent bullying, abuse, harassment, and discrimination. Safe Sport Canada today asks activity leaders, teachers, and other adults serving in youth leadership roles to report abuse, neglect, and other forms of maltreatment.
It may be time for all young men and women in sports to also take the Safe Sport program. Monday afternoon, Hockey Canada released an action plan to address “systemic issues” and “toxic behavior” within the sport.
Former Publisher
Fort Frances Times
