Hockey Canada accepts Cromwell report, vows to 'regain the trust of Canadians'

Hockey Canada says it accepts a former Supreme Court justice's report calling on the organization to address a lack of transparency and oversight related to a controversial reserve fund used to quietly settle uninsured liabilities — including sexual assault allegations.

The hockey organization's response comes a day after CBC News reported that the new report, commissioned by Hockey Canada, found that its reserve fund is necessary.

But the report, drafted by retired Supreme Court justice Thomas Cromwell, also found serious flaws with how the fund is handled. Cromwell concluded that there were no protocols or procedures in place to manage the fund, that detailed records of withdrawals were kept off the books and that Hockey Canada broke disclosure rules by failing to notify members about large payouts.

"Hockey Canada is reviewing Mr. Cromwell's recommendations, with a view to implementing them as soon as possible," Hockey Canada said in a media statement Thursday.

The organization publicly released a full copy of the interim report.

The organization hired Cromwell in August to review its governance structure as politicians and sponsors called on Hockey Canada's leadership team to resign. Hockey parents were outraged to learn that the National Equity Fund — supported in part by players' registration fees — was used to pay out a settlement for a $3.5 million lawsuit. 

The claimant in that lawsuit alleged eight hockey players — some of them members of the 2018 World Junior hockey team — sexually assaulted her.

It was later disclosed in testimony before a parliamentary committee that another $7.6 million had been withdrawn from the fund since 1989 for other alleged sexual abuse settlements.WATCH/ Hockey Canada's use of funds