Parents facing tough conversations, decisions in wake of Hockey Canada controversies

Sylvain Perrier was sitting down to lunch with his wife and daughter when he saw the breaking news that Hockey Canada was embroiled in another group sexual assault investigation, this time involving the 2003 world junior team.

Turning to his wife, he began telling her in French about the allegations when his daughter interjected, asking what they were talking about.

"For a second my brain froze and I was like, 'Oh, man, she's only 11,"' said Perrier. "I tried to explain it but there's no good way to explain it, right? Except being kind of forward with it. There's no way to sugar-coat it."

Perrier and his family had stopped at a restaurant as they drove from their home in Gatineau, Que., to Sudbury, Ont., for a hockey tournament his daughter was playing in. Because his daughter is familiar with the Hockey Canada brand, she was able to pick up that her parents were speaking about the sport that she loves.

Hockey Canada had its funding from the federal government and corporate sponsors paused following allegations of a sexual assault involving eight members of the 2018 men's junior hockey team.

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Those allegations came to light after it was reported that Hockey Canada paid out an undisclosed settlement to the complainant after she sued the organization, the Canadian Hockey League, and the eight unnamed players. The woman was seeking $3.55 million.

Hockey Canada later confirmed that it maintained a fund that drew on minor hockey membership fees to pay for uninsured liabilities, including sexual misconduct claims. the organization has since said the fund would no longer be used to pay out claims over sexual assault allegations.

Hockey Canada announced on