Hockey Canada (which merged with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1994) is the national governing body of ice hockey and ice sledge hockey in Canada. It is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation and controls the majority of organized ice hockey in Canada.[1][2] There are some notable exceptions, such as the Canadian Hockey League, U Sports (formerly known as Canadian Interuniversity Sport), and Canada's professional hockey clubs; the former two are partnered with Hockey Canada but are not member organizations. Hockey Canada is based in Calgary, with a secondary office in Ottawa and regional centres in Toronto, Winnipeg and Montreal.
History
The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association was founded on December 4, 1914, when 21 delegates from across Canada met at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. The organization was made to oversee the amateur level of the sport at the national level. The Allan Cup, originally donated in 1908 by Sir H. Montagu Allan, was selected as the championship of amateur hockey in Canada. William Northey, the trustee of the Allan Cup, was named the first ever chairman, while Dr. W. F. Taylor was named the inaugural president. The Memorial Cup was the junior amateur championship of Canada.[3]
Also in 1970, Canada pulled out of IIHF competition and would not return to the fold until 1977[3] in protest of the IIHF's soft stance on Soviet and Czechoslovakian teams using "professional amateurs" in international competition but not allowing professional players to compete for Canada.
In 1972, Canada and the Soviet Union competed in the 1972 Summit Series. Canada's team was composed of NHL stars, while the Soviet players were from the Red Army. The NHLers won the series 4-3-1.[3] Two years later, the World Hockey Association represented Canada and lost the series 1-4-3. In 1976, the Canada Cup was formed as a best-on-best championship.
In 1975, the QMJHL, WCJHL, and the renamed Ontario Major Junior Hockey League form an umbrella organization known as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League. With the creation of the CMJHL, the three league began initiating compensation talks with the NHL and WHA without CAHA input. In 1980, the CMJHL separated from the CAHA, only staying loosely affiliated with the national body. With the separation of the CMJHL, Tier II was promoted to simply Junior A, although the Tier II title still persists in hockey vernacular. To this day, the CMJHL (now Canadian Hockey League) releases its players to Hockey Canada to play at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
In 1983, the first Abby Hoffman Cup was awarded to the Burlington Ladies as the Canadian national senior champions of women's hockey.
In 1990, the forerunner to the Canadian Junior Hockey League was created as an umbrella organization, within the CAHA, to oversee Junior A hockey.
Canadian national sledge hockey team vs Sweden, Vancouver 2010 Paralympics
In 1994, Hockey Canada and the CAHA merged into one organization. Also, the International Olympic Committee elected to allow professional players to compete at the Olympics and created a women's event at the games. That same year, Hockey North became the 13th branch of Hockey Canada.[3]
The Clarkson Cup, donated by the Governor General of CanadaAdrienne Clarkson, was created in 2006, and was first awarded in 2009 to the Canadian national senior champions of women's hockey.[6] The Clarkson Cup replaced the Abby Hoffman Cup.
Team Canada's men's and women's teams won gold in both the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, hosted by Vancouver and Sochi respectively.[7][8]
Tom Renney retired as chief executive officer of Hockey Canada on July 1, 2022, and was succeeded by Scott Smith who also served as president.[9]
In June 2022, a scandal emerged over Hockey Canada's handling of sexual assault allegations surrounding the organization, stemming from its May 2022 settlement of alleged abuses by members of Canada's junior team in 2018. Minister for SportPascale St-Onge suspended federal funding of Hockey Canada via Sport Canada, and called for an audit over whether taxpayer money was used to pay out these settlements. Later that month, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage opened an inquiry into the settlement.[10][11] which revealed a history of sexual misconduct cases raised against Hockey Canada, and that the organization had spent C$7.6 million out of a "National Equity Fund"—funded with player registration fees—to help pay out settlements in 21 sexual misconduct cases since 1989.[12][13][14]
Amid calls for leadership changes at Hockey Canada, Smith and the entire board of directors resigned on October 11, 2022.[15]
In 2023, the British Columbia Hockey League decided not to renew its agreement with Hockey Canada and became an independent league. The league cited improved recruitment opportunities for 16 and 17 year old players in Canada as well as anticipated improved interest from Americans and players outside of North America as important reasons for the decision.[20] In April 2024, the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League followed suit and announced it would also withdraw and become an independent farm league for the BCHL beginning in the 2024-25 season.[21][22]
In the 2024–25 season, Hockey Canada and its four western affiliates – BC Hockey, Hockey Alberta, Hockey Saskatchewan and Hockey Manitoba – will pilot the Western Canadian Development Model (WCDM). Under the WCDM, junior leagues will adopt most of the Western Hockey League rulebook, excluding some sections, and restrictions on 15-year-old affiliate players in the Western Hockey League will be loosened. Players that will be 18-years of age or older in the calendar year will be allowed to choose whether to use full-face protection or half-face protection, whilst younger players will be required to use full-face protection.[23]
List of presidents
List of Canadian Amateur Hockey Association presidents (1914–1994), and Hockey Canada presidents (1994–present).[24][25] Prior to the merger of the two organizations in 1994, Hockey Canada leadership included Max Bell, Charles Hay, Doug Fisher, Lou Lefaive, Bill Hay, and Derek Holmes.
