Federal government freezing Hockey Canada’s funding

TSN Senior Correspondent

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The Canadian government is freezing Hockey Canada’s millions of dollars in federal funding until the organization signs up with a new federal agency that has the power to independently receive and investigate abuse complaints and issue sanctions for inappropriate behaviour, Minister of Sport Pascale St-Onge said in an interview on Wednesday.

St-Onge announced the funding freeze two days after Hockey Canada president Scott Smith and outgoing chief executive Tom Renney testified before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage about allegations made by a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by eight Canadian Hockey League players in 2018, at least some of whom played for Canada’s 2018 World Juniors team.

“This is about changing a deeply entrenched culture, it’s not about simple Band-Aid solutions,” St-Onge said.

The woman, who was not identified in court records, alleged players repeatedly sexually assaulted her in a London hotel room following a Hockey Canada golf tournament and gala event in June, 2018.  Smith testified that after a $3.55 million lawsuit was launched in April against Hockey Canada, the national governing body liquidated some of its investments and settled the litigation within weeks.

Hockey Canada received $14 million from the federal government in 2020 and 2021, government records show, including $3.4 million in emergency COVID-19 subsidies.

St-Onge said that Hockey Canada must also become a signatory to the new Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, which began accepting abuse complaints related to Canada’s national sports teams two days ago on June 20.

“I am going to use all the tools at my disposal to make sure that people are held accountable