Canada

Not shocked at all. Hockey has a terribly toxic culture to it.

https://www.brandonu.ca/research-connection/article/exposing-hockey-culture-from-within-a-reckoning/

Long before the recent highly publicized reports about sexual violence and silencing in hockey culture, journalists and academics were sounding the alarm (Gruneau & Whitson, 1993; Ingham & Dewar, 1999; Robinson, 1988). Informed by the research surrounding hypermasculinity and hockey culture (Allain, 2008; 2014; 2015), we conducted an interview-based study with elite-level male hockey players who were resistant to various elements of the culture.

https://news.westernu.ca/2022/07/expert-insight-hockey-trouble-can-the-sport-overcome-its-history-of-neglect-and-abuse/

On July 14, sports writer and activist Shireen Ahmed broke down Hockey Canada’s open letter on CBC News. “Abuse in hockey is not new,” insisted Ahmed. “Sexualized violence in hockey is not new.”

There is a discernible hockey subculture, rooted in violent performances of masculinity, that is undeniably helping fuel this pattern of abuse. And so far, organizations have been reluctant to do anything about it.

https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ssj/40/4/article-p452.xml

The socialization process encourages young boys and men to embody certain traits of hegemonic masculinities that manifest in homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, and heteronormativity (Allain, 2008; MacDonald, 2014). To promote and ensure athletes embrace certain masculine ideals, hockey players are frequently subjected to policing tactics that ensure the adoption and enactment of preferred masculine characteristics (Messner, 1990, 2000, 2007; Pringle & Hickey, 2011). As players progress in the game to elite-levels, these behaviors are expected, reinforced, and rewarded. However, attaining dominant masculine traits does not necessarily translate into fulfilling and satisfying experiences in life (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005). Despite personifying these desired masculine ideals, many former competitive ice hockey players are now publicly revealing their struggles with addiction and with the impacts of injuries connected to a lifetime of embodying hyperaggressive and overly competitive qualities of masculinity (Messner, 1990; see Fraser, 2020; Hirsch, 2018; Wilson, 2020). Importantly, the calls for change are coming from inside the rink.