Canada is hockey crazy. But at the heart of the sport is a system of unpaid labour that scars some boys for life. And the teams and leagues are doing whatever it takes to make sure things stay exactly the way they are.

Featured in this episode: Scott Wheeler (The Athletic)

To learn more:

“Hockey’s Puppy Mill” in The Walrus by Nicholas Hune-Brown

“How a Dad with NHL Dreams Bankrolled a Hockey Empire” in The Toronto Star by Robert Cribb

“Why Junior Hockey’s Financial Statement Should be Taken with a Mountain’s Worth of Salt” in The Hockey News by Ken Campbell

“Hockey Parent Confidential: An Oral History of Sex, Bribes and Goalie Moms” in The National Post by Joe O’Connor

“Lawyers Follow the Money as Court Releases CHL Team Financials” in TSN by Rick Westhead