Ontario's minister of tourism, culture and sport says the province is looking into allegations of teams being sold for large sums of money
The province says its looking into allegations of corruption within the Greater Toronto Hockey League.
Neil Lumsden, Ontario's minister of tourism, culture and sport, made the announcement after NDP Leader Marit Stiles and MPP Jennie Stevens called on the province to launch an investigation.
The league is accused of selling teams for large sums of money.
"The ministry does not have a direct relationship with membered organizations as a provincial sports organizations. It has no authority. The GTHL is a member of the Ontario Hockey Federation and that’s why, you asked about action, there’s action being taken," Lumsden said.
At a press conference earlier today, Stiles and Stevens were joined by former NHL player Akim Aliu to address a TSN report.
The report was about a prospective buyer who claims he was coached on getting around the league's rules prohibiting such sales.
The report detailed negotiations from 2019 and 2020 to purchase the Humberview Huskies organization for $375,000.
Stiles says there appears to be a "cash-for-access culture" giving some kids more opportunity than others.
The GTHL mandates that its teams cannot be bought or sold because they are registered as non-profits.
However, teams can be registered as not-for-profits with either the federal or provincial government.
This isn't the first time the GTHL has faced similar accusations.
Aliu previously told TSN that when he met with the president of the New York Rangers in July 2021 at the GTHL's head office, he was told it would cost at least $1 million for them to buy the organization's triple-A teams.
The GTHL has told TSN that it's investigating allegations that teams and non-profit companies running them have been inappropriately bought and sold.
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