London Nationals owner suspended two years for offering bounty on player

The owner of the London Nationals hockey club has been suspended for two years for offering a bounty on a player. Paul Duarte was under investigation for alleged harassment, misconduct, bullying, and abuse. He will not be able to take part in any Hockey Canada activities for the next two years.

The Nationals are one of 24 teams playing in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The Nationals finished this season with a 34-11-4-1 record and ended up losing in the conference semifinals. The storied franchise which began in 1950 has won eight league championships.

Allegedly, there was a bounty placed on a Komoka Kings player in 2021 and a Nationals player was asked to target that player in a game. The London Free Press said at the time that the bounty was worth $100.

The Ontario Hockey Federation stated that last November they received reports of violations of the federation’s harassment, abuse, bullying and misconduct policy and its code of conduct. Not many details of the alleged abuse are known at this time but the president of the OHF confirmed the allegations.

“We want to make the game a safe and inclusive place for all individuals,” he said. “Owners are a leader in the game and they must ensure integrity in their conduct at all times.”

Duarte is a board member of the Ontario Hockey Association but he has no power to influence the investigation because the Ontario Hockey Federation is a separate entity from the OHA. The suspension to the Nationals owner will end on June 1, 2025, however, he has the option to appeal the decision Hockey Canada if he chooses to do so.

“The OHF retained a third-party investigator to probe the allegations,” the federation said in a news release. “The Ontario Hockey Federation continues to enhance its focus on Safe Sport and the eradication of maltreatment in the game of hockey, while balancing the ability for individuals to grow and rehabilitate from maltreatment violations.”