In a sweeping set of recommendations aimed at overhauling the culture of hockey, a team of researchers commissioned by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) is urging Hockey Canada to push for a ban on fighting across all junior leagues and implement a national sanctions registry to inform the public about people who have been banned or suspended for serious maltreatment.

The recommendations were included in a 234-page sport environment assessment report published by the OSIC on May 8. It has not been publicly reported on before now.

“Hockey Canada should invite partnership with national governing bodies from other countries and other stakeholders, to work toward a concerted effort to campaign and influence the CHL and other leagues to eliminate fighting…,” the report said. “The aim would be to ensure the celebration of violence is not a deterrent for grassroots enrollment, and to protect the safety and well-being of young athletes.”

The federally funded OSIC opened in 2022 to receive and investigate complaints of maltreatment mostly related to incidents involving national-team level athletes, coaches and staff. As part of its mandate, the federal government gave the OSIC the ability to investigate systemic issues within individual sports, make recommendations on how to improve them, and then follow up a year after the recommendations were made by publishing monitoring reports to determine whether any of the changes were made.

Sport Canada has the ability to withhold funding from organizations if it determines they have not done enough to make their sport safer for participants. During 2023-24, Hockey Canada received $5.5 million in funding from the federal government via Sport Canada.

The OSIC report was written by mediator Sarah Daitch, a former member of Canada’s national cross country ski team, and six other researchers who heard from more than 1,800 hockey players, parents, coaches, and officials who participated in surveys, one-on-one interviews, and a workshop.

Interview subjects included 45 hockey league administrators, board members, volunteers, former players........

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