Al McCulloch, president of the Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association, has fielded a lot of calls this week.
“I have parents and association presidents from Port Hardy to Victoria screaming: ‘Where is our money going to?’ ” said McCulloch, who runs the umbrella association for all minor hockey associations on the Island.
The accusations of abuse that have roiled Hockey sa国际传媒 have filtered down to all levels of the game. The biggest concern of associations at the local levels is the revelation that part of youth hockey registration fees went to a fund created to pay millions of dollars to victims of alleged sexual abuse within the game in this country.
Players from the 2018 and 2003 Canadian world junior championship teams have been involved in the allegations, none of which have been tested in court.
Major Hockey sa国际传媒 sponsors Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons, Chevrolet sa国际传媒, Scotiabank, Telus, Skip the Dishes, Sobeys and Nike have either ended or suspended their sponsorships or deeply curtailed them.
“Who this affects is the little kids playing the game,” said McCulloch. “The 2018 world junior players are in the NHL now and they are not hurting. It’s our young players who suffer. What this has done is hurt future generations of players.
“Hockey sa国际传媒 looks and sounds tone deaf. It’s not good when you even have the prime minister calling you out.
“We’re the biggest sport in sa国际传媒 and need to be leading by example on this issue of appropriate behaviour and fighting abuse in sport. There is a reason our sport is getting roasted right now. We look bad to the general public and have created a tidal wave of problems within the sport.”
Some provincial hockey associations, including Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, are withholding funding, mainly through their $3-per-player participant fees to Hockey sa国际传媒, until the issue of abuse is properly addressed by the national organization.
Saanichton-based sa国际传媒 Hockey, which administers the 60,000 players who play hockey in the province, said in a statement: “On behalf of our thousands of hard-working volunteers, officials, coaches, players and hockey families, [we] continue to monitor the challenges in our game and all of the developments in recent months.
“There are many issues facing sport and sport governance, including those in our game. These matters require thoughtful and collaborative steps toward solutions for the betterment of all. We are all invested in the acceleration of positive change in our game.
“We continue to participate in the review process, including the governance review underway and led by the Honourable Thomas Cromwell. We are also closely monitoring the input and decisions of other members of Hockey sa国际传媒, including those of Hockey Quebec. sa国际传媒 Hockey is committed to playing a role in accountability for positive change in hockey for our participant members.”
sa国际传媒 Hockey CEO Cam Hope said Friday he had no comment at this time beyond the statement released.
“I understand they have protocols, but sa国际传媒 Hockey needs to be more than monitoring,” said McCulloch.
“It needs to react, step up and take the lead in this province. We need to fix the problem.”
sa国际传媒 Sports Minister Lisa Beare has said she would back sa国际传媒 Hockey if it took measures similar to that of the Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick associations.
Systemic abuse within hockey has also been brought up by some as an issue apart from the specific allegations stemming from 2018 and 2003.
McCulloch would like to see an attitude shift throughout the sport: “ ‘Boys will be boys’ doesn’t cut it with me,” he said. “We want to be raising not just better hockey players but better humans.”
