(Montreal) Hockey Canada reported that its two new independent complaint management mechanisms received nearly 1,900 potential incidents in its first year of existence, in 2022-23.
This data is included in the most recent hockey mistreatment monitoring report sanctioned by the organization that oversees the sport in the country, and which includes cases of mistreatment, discrimination and harassment.
This document was released on Thursday, and the information contained in it represents an important step and is part of Hockey Canada’s ongoing efforts to improve the detection, treatment and follow-up of cases of abuse.
“The independent third party received a total of 1,872 complaints in the first year (July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023), which includes files submitted by all 13 Hockey Canada members. Of these, 187 were accepted and processed in full,” the report read.
This therefore means that more than 1,400 complaints did not meet the necessary severity threshold, and as a result they were redirected to provincial or territorial organizations for evaluation.
In other words, that corresponds to almost one complaint per 200 hockey players in the country.
Additionally, of the 187 complaints that were upheld, more than half (50.3%) were related to bullying and harassment, while complaints of sexual abuse were the second most commonly upheld complaints, at 19.8%. Other types of complaints were also accepted by the independent third party, including physical assault (11.2%), discrimination (7.5%) and abuse of authority (7%).
“The sanctioned hockey abuse monitoring report is an essential tool in our work to detect and stop serious behavior that has no place in hockey or any other sport,” said Natasha Johnston, vice-president of safety in sport at Hockey Canada.
“We will continue to be transparent with the public in communicating the data we collect with the help of our members and we will use the related analyzes to better guide the actions taken collectively going forward,” he said. she adds.
The release of this report comes as Hockey Canada attempts to restore its public image after being tarnished by allegations of sexual assault involving Junior Team Canada players in 2013 and 2018. None of these allegations have not yet been proven in court.
Hockey Canada indicated that 550,137 players were members of its organization in 2022-23, and specified that those who play in the QMJHL, OHL and WHL, as well as those who play in adult recreational leagues have not not included in this report.
As a result, there would be a total of 480,680 players in the country.
Of the 1,872 complaints received by Hockey Canada’s independent third party, the report indicates that 1,057 were filed by a loved one or guardian, and 598 were made by a sports association.
“The mechanisms used to count cases of abuse have just been developed and have recently been refined,” the report said. Tracking systems across the hockey ecosystem will continue to improve, improving reporting accuracy over time. » The Hockey Canada report defines mistreatment as “a deliberate act and/or omission that results or may result in physical or psychological harm.” This can be psychological, physical, neglectful or sexual in nature, and can also include bullying, harassment and discrimination.
Sexual orientation and gender identity have been by far the most common types of discrimination over the past two seasons, with the under-18 and under-15 age categories reporting the overwhelming majority offenses.
The report also states that 1,624 documented or alleged incidents of on-ice discrimination were reported last season – up from 927 in Hockey Canada’s first report on mistreatment in 2021-22. The sports organization claims that improving awareness, education and denunciation processes could explain this increase.
The 18-page document also noted that the Office of the Sports Integrity Commissioner (BCIS) received 25 complaints related to ice hockey in the first year (June 20, 2022 to June 30, 2023), including 24 were deemed inadmissible and one for which the competent organization had not yet been determined.
Hockey Canada became a signatory to the government-backed Sport Without Abuse program in October 2022.
“We are committed to expanding reporting on mistreatment in sanctioned hockey for the 2023-2024 season as well as preventing and adequately addressing incidents of mistreatment in sanctioned hockey programs,” Johnston said in a press release. .
“As we continue to increase our awareness efforts and opportunities for confident reporting, it is expected that the number of reported incidents of abuse on the ice and off ice will increase,” she concluded.
