Hockey Canada had abuse claim reserve fund: court documents

An affidavit filed in an Ontario court case suggests Hockey Canada has maintained a fund to pay for uninsured liabilities, including sexual abuse claims.

The detail is included in a July 2021 affidavit sworn by Glen McCurdie, who was then Hockey Canada's vice-president of insurance and risk management, as part of a lawsuit launched by an injured player in Ontario.

"Hockey Canada maintains a reserve in a segregated account to pay for any such uninsured liabilities as they arise," McCurdie's affidavit said. It goes on to say that "uninsured liabilities include potential claims for historical sexual abuse."

Hockey Canada did not immediately respond to an email from The Canadian Press requesting comment on McCurdie's affidavit.

The sport's national body has been under intense scrutiny since news of an alleged sexual assault following a 2018 gala in London, Ont., involving eight unidentified players — including members of that year's world junior team — and subsequent settlement broke in May. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Scott Smith, the organization's president and COO, and outgoing CEO Tom Renney were grilled by parliamentarians during a Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage meeting last month on both the matter and where settlement funds came from.

McCurdie, who retired in December, did not attend proceedings due to the death of his father, but has been subpoenaed by the committee for a subsequent round of meetings slated to begin next Tuesday.

Hockey Canada has had federal funding cut off because of its handling of the case and settlement, while a number of corporations paused sponsorship dollars.

The organization released a carefully worded open letter Thursday with a number of promises,