Canadians opposed, angry over Hockey Canada’s use of player registration fees in settlements, survey finds
A new survey by Nanos Research is shedding light on the impact Hockey Canada’s handling of sexual assault allegations is having on the organization and the sport.
A majority of Canadians said they feel angry a portion of player registration fees were used by Hockey Canada to maintain a fund for uninsured payments, including for sexual assault settlements.
“When you’re paying fees you’re hoping that it’s going towards things that are directly benefiting the children and obviously that doesn’t benefit the children,” said Marcia Novo, a hockey parent of three sons from The Pas, Man.
The survey of 1,038 people commissioned by CTV News and The Globe and Mail found 84 per cent were opposed or somewhat opposed to using a portion of fees to pay out settlements for sexual assault allegations.
Data from a Nanos Research poll asking if people support Hockey Canada's decision to use a portion of registration fees to pay settlement for sexual assault allegations
Seventy-three per cent said they feel anger about the situation.
“It’s really a non-starter for most Canadians,” Nik Nanos, of Nanos Research, told CTV News Channel Friday.
Hockey Canada just announced a governance review and has already vowed to stop using fees to pay settlements.
The way it handled group sexual allegations made against some members of the 2018 Canadian World Junior hockey team, a lawsuit the organization settled in May with the woman who came forward before fully investigating the matter, has also come under scrutiny.
Data from a Nanos Research poll looking at views on allegations of sexual assault in hockey
“It suggests that this particular issue is a major issue and that it has had a materially negative impact on how Canadians view hockey players and it’s quite significant considering how important hockey is to Canadians,” Nanos told CTV News Channel.
Fifty-nine per cent of respondents said they view sexual misconduct as a possible cultural problem in player development leagues that feed the NHL while only 11 percent said it’s not a problem.
Data from a Nanos Research poll asking if sexual misconduct is a cultural problem in hockey.
Women, meantime, were more likely than men to view sexual misconduct as a problem in hockey.
“It just feels like it is very ingrained in the culture of hockey,” Novo said.
Other hockey parents CTV News spoke to in Winnipeg Friday said while they’re not happy the way their fees were used and want more transparency from Hockey Canada, they have no plans to take their kids out of the game because it’s a sport they love and enjoy.
Fifty-five per cent of survey respondents said it will have no impact on the likelihood of having their children play hockey while 39 per cent said they’re less likely to sign up their kids.
Data from a Nanos Research poll asking the impact Hockey Canada allegations would have on parents enrolling their children in hockey
Daryl Fowler, president of Hockey Winnipeg, said there needs to be more transparency about where the money Hockey Canada collects is going and if there’s not, Hockey Winnipeg may look at options for holding back the fees sent to the organization.
“We know that everybody’s discussing it when everybody gets together and it’s an issue that’s gotta get resolved,” Fowler said. “Hockey’s a great game and it’s kind of giving it a black eye right now.”
Novo said she won’t pull her sons from playing hockey but wants to see the culture of the game changed.
“That’s where I think I need to do the work,” Novo said. “It’s where a lot of parents need to do the work is that we can no longer condone this behaviour and maybe we have to speak up against it.”
Something she thinks needs to happen at a local level, to root out any problems when players are just getting started in the game.
Hockey Manitoba said Friday it’s holding an annual meeting of its board of directors this weekend and may have more to say on the issue Monday.
Random survey of 1,038 people from July 29 to August 1
Survey accurate 3.1 percentage points plus or minus, 19 times out of 20
Source: Nanos Research for CTV News and The Globe and Mail
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.