Canadaland

Hockey is a hell of a lot of fun. But right now, the sport is going through a reckoning. Allegations of racism, corruption, sexual misconduct and so much more are rocking the game to its core.But the truth is that in Canada, hockey is more than just a sport. It’s a civic religion, with a billion dollar business attached to it.Over the next seven episodes, COMMONS will be digging into the cult of hockey, scrutinizing its doctrines and exposing its secrets.Featured in this episode: Ian Kennedy (The Hockey News)Editor’s Note: a different version of this episode was published on the subscriber-only feed of Commons. No inaccuracies were found in the original version, changes were made by the Editor in Chief for storytelling purposes.To learn more:“How a Toronto hockey league turns kids’ joy into an $8.8m cash cow” by Ian Kennedy and Nathan Kalman-Lamb in The Guardian“Aliu says GTHL rejected organization that would have assured spots for BIPOC players” by Rick Westhead in TSN“Prospective buyer says he was coached t