Ongoing investigation into Hockey Canada has uncovered a second secret fund used to pay off sexual assault settlements

Content warning: This section contains mention of sexual assault.

The GIST: Just when it seemed Hockey Canada couldn’t go any lower, an ongoing investigation found that the org reportedly used a second secret fund to pay off sexual assault settlements. Disgusting.

The background: The unraveling began back in May when a settlement between Hockey Canada and a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted in 2018 by eight players, including members of the junior national team, came to light.

• The news prompted a third-party investigation into Hockey Canada, which found that they had horrifically diverted youth players’ registration fees into a secret fund to pay off sexual assault settlements.

The latest: On Monday, The Globe & Mail reported that Hockey Canada used a second undisclosed fund which was also created with player registration fees “for matters including but not limited to sexual abuse.”

• Meanwhile, Hockey Canada interim board chair Andrea Skinner defended senior management yesterday. Make it make sense.
• Elsewhere, a parallel investigation into sexual assault and abuse allegation mishandlings within the Canadian Hockey League (or CHL, a junior hockey feeder league) underscored how deep the denial of toxicity in hockey culture runs.

Zooming out: Given the rampant deception, Canada’s minister of sport Pascale St-Onge has called for a complete leadership overhaul within Hockey Canada. It’s the only way forward.