Hockey Canada reveals large chunk of player insurance fees goes to National Equity Fund

Hockey Canada has revealed that over 65 per cent of player insurance fees go toward the organization's National Equity Fund.

In a letter to MP Peter Julian obtained by The Canadian Press, Hockey Canada president and chief executive officer Scott Smith provided a breakdown of how registration and insurance fees are allocated.

General liability insurance ($8.90), director's and officers insurance ($2) and safety/admin ($2.75) are allocated to the National Equity Fund and make up $13.65 of the $20.80 in insurance fees that are paid.

The breakdown said the general liability insurance would have been used to settle claims of sexual misconduct, though Hockey Canada has since said the reserve fund will no longer be used for that purpose.

Accidental death and dismemberment insurance ($5.15) and medical and dental insurance ($2) make up the remainder, and are paid into the health and benefit trust.

Insurance in total makes up the bulk of the total registration fee of $23.80, with the other three dollars coming from assessment and registration fees.

Smith was responding to an Aug. 22 letter from Julian, in which the member of the House of Commons heritage committee accused Hockey Canada of a lack of transparency regarding its use of registration fees.

"Hockey parents across the country deserve to know exactly how their registration fees are used," Julian said.

The National Equity Fund has put Hockey Canada under increased scrutiny since the organization confirmed its existence in a statement on July 19 and said it had been used to settle sexual misconduct claims.

Hockey Canada said the following day that the fund would no longer be used to settle sexual assault claims.

At a parliamentary hearing on July 27, Hockey Canada chief