Hockey Canada sparks outrage with refusal to join abuse registry

Hockey Canada is once again facing criticism over transparency and accountability after a new report revealed the organization is refusing to participate in Canada’s emerging national abuse registry unless it receives legal protection from the federal government.

The registry, maintained by Sport Integrity Canada, was created to publicly identify coaches, officials, and sport administrators who have been suspended or banned following findings of serious misconduct. The goal is to prevent individuals from quietly resurfacing in other sports organizations, youth programs, or volunteer positions without their histories being known.

Several national sports organizations have already begun cooperating with the registry, including Gymnastics Canada, which has reportedly submitted the names of 22 banned individuals. Other participating organizations include Badminton Canada, Archery Canada, and Cycling Canada.

Hockey Canada, however, has not provided any names.

According to TSN, Hockey Canada chief of staff Jeremy Knight stated the organization will not join the registry unless Sport Canada indemnifies it against potential defamation lawsuits tied to publishing the names of sanctioned individuals.

“Hockey Canada continues to strongly advocate for the development of a national registry to enhance safety across the Canadian sport system that will not place any sport organization at legal risk,” Knight wrote in an email to TSN.

The position immediately created a divide between Hockey Canada and several other national sports bodies, many of which argue the greater risk lies in keeping sanctioned individuals hidden from public view.

The debate arrives as Hockey Canada continues to face intense scrutiny over its handling of abuse allegations, misconduct investigations, and organizational transparency in recent years.

Calls for a mandatory public registry have only intensified. The Future of Sport in Canada Commission recommended one earlier this year in its final report, while both the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage and the Standing Committee on the Status of Women have also advocated for a national system.

For now, Hockey Canada says it internally tracks all banned or suspended individuals through its own private database. Critics, however, argue that keeping those names out of the public registry undermines the very purpose of creating it in the first place.