The governing body of amateur hockey in Canada has been using player registration fees to pay out victims of alleged sexual abuse at the hands of officials, coaches, trainers, and players, according to a report.
Hockey Canada maintains a "special multimillion-dollar fund" drawn on dues from registered players to settle assault claims without the input of its insurer and "with minimal outside scrutiny," according to a new report by The Globe and Mail, citing the organization's internal documents.
The revelation comes in the wake of years of sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the country's national sport. The organization recently settled an accusation against eight Canadian Hockey League players, including members of the 2018 Canadian World Junior team, for $3.55 million, the report said.
The incidents have prompted parliamentary investigations, with Hockey Canada CEO Scott Smith testifying that the organization has handled 1-2 cases of alleged abuse per year for the past six years.
The body came under federal scrutiny because it receives several million dollars from the government annually, just shy of $50 million over the past decade, the report said. Officials testified that settlement payouts did not use public funds, instead drawing on a "separate" investment account that generates returns known internally as the "National Equity Fund."
Over 600,000 players sign up for Hockey Canada each year, The Globe and Mail reported, with $23.80 per person allocated toward insurance and other expenses. The settlement fund draws some portion of that line item for the payouts, thought it was unclear how much, the report said.
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