In 2005 the GTHL passed bylaw Rule 1.3 Publication of Financial Summary which among other things requires the GTHL board to to publish and distribute an audted income statement, balance sheet and the typical financial commentary that accompanies  with financial statements.   The GTHL has yet to publish these statements, and while they are not accused of financial irregularities they have never explained the massive gape between published and actual ice costs.   Here's the deal::

• GTHL Claims they spend $3.7 million on ice last year
• GTHL schedule had 12,000 hours of ice (www.gthlcanada.com schedule off Bladenet)
• GTHL buys 60% of their ice from the City of Toronto at $165/hour (City of Toronto Ice Rates).  This equates to 7200 hours @ 165/hr  or  $1.2M
• GTHL buys the remaining 40%, or 4800 hours from private rinks which works out to an average of $530/hr.

Do they really pay $530/hour?  We think not.  In a worst case scenario 4,800 hours of private ice should cost less than 800 x $250/hour or less than $1.2M.  That leaves $1.35 million unaccounted for.

Should they have to disclose private contracts?

Those ****ing dirtbags ream us. They take in millions in CASHOLA, with ZERO accountability. It's like an olt time LAS VEGAS casino! They didn't vote for teams to pay because that cut off the bare cash from the pigs at the trough!!!!

it takes 3 idiot ticket takers at $15-$20/hour cash which is probably what they havent claimed but probably included these idiots in their "ICE" budget

really I have been to rinks with 1 person who can take the $5, rip the ticket and stamp the hand all at once do they really need 3 idiots?

not only that but the sponsorship on the tickets ie pizza pizza should cover the cost of printing the tickets so if GTHL pays employees cash then why arent ticket takers claiming it on their income taxes?

If they're spending that much collect gate it's likely another thing they don't want discussed. If the numbers you say are true, simply collecting from teams saves hockey at least $400K a year.

you ******* morons will never give it up will you ?


IF YOU DONT LIKE WHAT YOU PAY GO SOMWHERE ELSE !!! just stop your never ending BS about the G and YOUR money. play in the O. They're always telling you how much better it is...GO FIND OUT !!!

the g's books are open for all to see if they want to...just ask them they'll show you where to look on the site for breakdown and accounting.

You guys wont be happy until hockey is free....it is your kids birthright to play hockey correct ??

1:37

At least us ****** morons can read, write, and do simple math. GTHL books aren't open, nor do not publish financials in any public place or website. Also, they neither acknowledge or disclose details of financial transactions between owners and the league.

The bottom line is the GTHL has the authority and control over purse strings. They can control virtually all variables in the cost of hockey - they simply don't do it well compatred to other leagues.

Forget about finances, they don't do well at anything when compared to other leagues.

gthl financials are on the webiste:
http://www.gthlcanada.com/bulletins/GTHLAnnualReport3.pdf

Ha ha! Those aren't the books, its a simple balance sheet and income statement. There is no management discusssion, no auditor's commentary, virtually 0 details.

They often refer to ice costs being outrageous. For instance, the GTHL screams foul at $300 for an hour of ice at the new Lakeshore rink, yet the average cost of private ice computes to $450/hour. That's $450/hour they take from your and me to cover the cost of ice in their 'private deals' with operators and ice brokers. Or it's not $450/hour and there's a lot of ice that's but but not accounted for.

Shouldn't we have the right to scream when we thing we're being robbed?

When do the game schedules get posted for next season?

Id really like to see the GTHL books audited by a independent accountant!
But that will never happen!

Actually, the F/S are audited by an independant CA.

I was at the AGM last Saturday, and the Audited F/S were given to delegates (Pres and GMs of Clubs) at the meeting.

A non-profit the size of the GTHL should have an audit committee made up of stakeholders (GTHL execs, parents rep, owners reps, and the citys/towns that provide subsidized resources).

Volunteer organizations are the size of a small business but run with the efficiency of large bureaucracies. Decisions are more influenced by lobbying than practical needs or economics, non-arms-length dealing is common, and small groups organize to protect turf for their benefit as opposed to the benefits of the stakeholders they serve. That's nothing new, that's the way is is.

Audit committees work like the Auditor General in government. They benefit the constituents by keeping an eye on the books, deals, contracts etc. They also evaluate and make recommendations on major financial issues, like gate fees, to make sure they benefit the members, not the owners and management.

The GTHL needs an independent Audit Committee.

From the Canada Revenue Agency Web Site:

Informant Leads Program

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) takes abuse of Canada's tax laws very seriously. When an individual or business does not fully comply with tax legislation, an unfair burden is placed on law‑abiding taxpayers and businesses and the integrity of Canada's tax base is jeopardized.

The mandate of the Informant Leads Program is to co‑ordinate all leads that the CRA receives from informants, to determine if there is an element of non-compliance with tax legislation, and to ensure that appropriate enforcement action is taken.

The program is regionalized into five offices across the country. To report suspected tax evasion, contact the office in your region (you may report the information anonymously):

Ontario Region Informant Leads Centre

Tel.: 905-984-4830
Tel.: 1-866-809-6841 (toll free)
Fax: 905-984-4829

Mail:
Ontario Region Informant Leads Centre
St. Catharines Tax Services Office
32 Church Street
Post Office Box 3038
St. Catharines ON L2R 3B9

how do you explain paying people cash?
how do you know they claim it?
there is no way 3 people are needed per rink/per game to do that job
also not listed in the spread sheet was Pizza Pizza's generous sponsorship to have there name on each ticket
One would think that form of advertising would cover the cost of the printed tickets?

seriously hire less hand stampers, only 1 idiot is needed per game

common sense
FYI I think they get paid $20-$25 actually per game, times that by 3 persons and thats an additional $75/game

call Scott Oakman and ask for the audited financial statements. He will send you a copy...you can even post it here. What could be more transparent? It is the largest hockey league in the world, with most, but not all, being volunteers. Your questions are good, but ask with some respect.

Ice costs are the biggest area in question, do you really think he will open the books on ice contracts (buys and sells)?

This is the single biggest expense and one that has between $1M and $1.4M of cost that is not explained. What's lumped into the ice budget? How much do they pay private ice owners? Ice Brokers? Do they overbuy then resell ice? How is surplus ice disposed and accounted for?

With ice costs accounting for the vast majority of the GTHL budget, how can you call their dealing transparent if they keep the deals secret?

GTHL will never open the books on ice.

they will open their books to the people they need to open the books for.


That DOES NOT INCLUDE PARENTS PLAYERS

1:43

Agreed. If ice dealing is secret, it's for a damn good reason. There are lots of 'pigs at the trough' in ice dealing, all hell would break loose if the hockey community got a clear picture of how and who is in these deals.

Even the most fearless news reporters are afraid of doing expose work on ice.

What I find quite amuzing is the fact that you parents think you have right to ANY INFORMATION AT ALL from the GTHL.

Because you pay X amount of $ to have your kid play organized hockey ? It really is funny. The GTHL has no obligation, ZERO, legal or otherwise, to show YOU anything. PERIOD.

What makes you think you deserve to be shown anything to do with the GTHL anyway ? Because you pay a gate fee to watch your kid play a game ?
Because you pay a member organization X amount of $ per year to have your kid play in their org ? If anyone should show you financials it is your specific organization. They are charged a flat fee to be a member of the league each year. That, plus nything over and above, is THEIR resonsibility to charge it back to you.

Gate fee's are charged. PERIOD. Your complaining about the amount or who takes it from you at the door is quite ridiculous. The GTHL is not in the job making business. they have X amopunt of people at the door for a reason. One to take the money and issue the ticket. One to stamp your hand and make sure you paid before entering the arena. The other is usually some form of security. This person wouldn;t be needed if the deadbeat parents didn't try to sneak in and cost EVERYONE more $ and behave themselves like adults.
While we're at it...who the hell came up the figure of $20-25 hr or game or...for these folks. ARE YOU FREAKIN' DUMB ? or just plain stupid and prone to WILD EXAGERATION ???

People it takes a lot of other people to run a game, never mind a league. So quit your complaining it's JUNE for God's sake. Enjoy yourself. there willplaenty of time to complain.

Oh, by the way...the GTHL is now hiring ticket takers, timekeeper's, security and supervisors for each. If it's $25.00 an hour ALL you un-employed STIFFS better get your CV in there and fast.

The GTHL is organized differently than other minor hockey organizations in Canada. The main differences being the GTHL is controlled owner/operator businesses, hockey in the rest of Canada is controled by player/members through community associations. As such, the GTHL board reports to the owner/operators, elsewhere the controlling association reports to the playing members.

While there is no legal requirement to disclose financial dealings to the members, some legal Toronto, Markham or Vaughan can require the GTHL to disclose any and all ice dealings for subsidized city/municipal ice. A city/municipality councellor could require the GTHL to disclose purchase and sale agreements to/from it's member teams to assure ice is not arbitraged for profit.

Something is wrong with hockey in Toronto, failure to manage the overall cost is likely causing these problems to get worse. The GTHL's defense of opwner/operator interests has made it difficult for them to contain the cost of hockey. Rising costs are the primary reason enrollment is declining, local players are developed at the lowest rate in Ontario, and flagramt rules abuse (tampering, profiteering, residency to name a few) spreads the pain over more than the GTHL area.

The noose may be tightening. Subtle changes are creeping into the OHF bylaws as they chip away at these issues. They have clamped down on residency cheating, the next issues will be cost containment -- how they do it is still up in the air.

>>>While we're at it...who the hell came up the figure of $20-25 hr or game or...for these folks. ARE YOU FREAKIN' DUMB ? or just plain stupid and prone to WILD EXAGERATION ???>>>

The GTHL says gate collection costs them $400K/year. 10,000 games are played so collection costs roughly $40/game.

The problem is you cant just go anywhwere you want to play because the OHF governs movement.

The OHF should be managing the GTHL and yes the books should always be open when its a non profit organization and many employee are getting paid cash.

Any time there's cash involved there are awlays scams going on.

Getting access to finances will be impossible, the GTHL is afraid of open books. First they are likely afraid that others will react harshly to the controls, oversights, and possibly the deals. They may be afraid some of the 'deals' will look or be bad. And finally, they are probably fearful tof things they don't know but should.

Similar to what a lot of community clubs fear.

Too bad none of the ocal newspapers has enough grit to do an expose on the GTHL.

I think they should open their books. The GTHL has a monopoly and a charter that requires them to operate as a non-profit, non-shareholder entity.

Having an independent audit comittee is a great idea.

Yes. The GTHL should open their books, particularly the ice contracts.

you're dreaming in TECHNICOLOUR !!

Did you know that JFK was shot by multiple shooters ? Did you know that the FBI, CIA, Castro AND Kruschev were all involved ?
Conspiracy abounds.

BUT no more than in the minds of parents with children playing hockey in the GTHL !!!

GTHL has it's head so far up it's butt it's amazing they can run the league.

For fun, the OMHA coaxed John Neville, a stoogy GTHL VP to speak at one of their league dinners. The pud stood up, yanked his chain for 20 minutes (I did this, I did that, I been to Siberia twice) then tossed in a few words about how much everyone in the room was under-appreciated.

A few in the crowd humored themselves during the question period, the fella was so consumed with himself he didn't realize they were poking fun at him!

If this is who we're leaving in charge of hockey, methinks we're going to be seeing more bronze in the future.

At a recent default game, both teams paid their gamesheet fees to the GTHL (at the gate). No admission fees were collected as groups were informed the game would not be played. The home team used the ice slot for practice. The GTHL gate staff charged all participating players $6. According to one GTHL staff person, there should have been no charge to the players as the gamesheet fees had been paid in full by BOTH teams.

$6 should be paid.

Gamewheet fees go to the refs who i assume showed up, and will get paid for the game.

if you wanted to save the $6, then you shouldnt have used the ice for shinney or whatever

How much does the person who puts a stamp on your hand get paid to do that job. There's a waste of money.