Former junior hockey executive arrested on child exploitation charges

Analysis

A former junior hockey executive has been arrested and charged with sexually exploiting three underage players. Tyler King, 39, was arrested on Friday at a Canada-U.S. border crossing in Kingston, Ontario. He faces charges of luring, sexual exploitation, and making child sexual abuse and exploitation material. The three complainants were junior A players from Saskatchewan and Alberta who were part of the Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association at the time of the alleged offences. All three were under the age of 18.

The RCMP said the Okotoks Oilers reported the allegations to them in June 2024. An employee of the hockey association told police that a former staff member had been soliciting and compensating players for intimate videos and pictures. Corporal Dan Campbell of the RCMP said the team reported the matter as soon as they became aware of it. "I'm not aware of how the timeline lines up," Campbell told reporters on Monday. "However, I do know that the Okotoks Oilers reported this as soon as they became aware of it, and we became engaged." The investigation identified multiple victims who were underage minor league hockey players.

READ MORE: Second Nova Scotia minor hockey player pleads guilty to sexual assault charges

READ MORE: Durham police officer arrested, charged with child sexual exploitation offences

In a statement released Monday, the Oilers organization said it was not aware of the allegations while King was employed there. "After his departure, we received information that, while unverified at the time, raised enough concern that we felt it needed a closer look," said Brent Lauinger, chairman and governor with the Oilers. "We reviewed it carefully and passed it to the RCMP." This statement contrasts with a farewell message the team posted on its website in June 2024, which said, "The Okotoks Oilers would like to thank Tyler King for his tireless efforts during his three seasons in our organization as Assistant GM, Business Operations." That page has since been taken down.

Cross-province investigation continues

Police say the investigation remains active and the number of potential victims is unclear. King had worked with various teams across Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. He oversaw non-hockey operations for the Okotoks Oilers and with the British Columbia Hockey League. After leaving the Oilers, he was hired in June 2024 as the vice-president of business operations for the Nanaimo Clippers in the British Columbia Hockey League. Corporal Campbell said the Clippers were "likely not aware" of the allegations against King at the time of his hiring. Police noted there may also be victims in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario, as well as in the Alberta communities of Fort McMurray and Brooks.

At the time of his arrest, King was working at the State University of New York's campus in Oswego. The university confirmed in an email that King joined in 2025 as a professor of practice in its communications studies department. "We are aware of the arrest in Canada and are co-ordinating with law enforcement," the university said. "Because this is an ongoing criminal matter involving a university employee, we cannot comment further at this time." Alberta RCMP said they were unsure whether King is under investigation in the United States.

Teams pledge co-operation

The RCMP emphasized that the Okotoks Oilers have been co-operative with the investigation. "They're obviously very concerned for their players," Corporal Campbell said. He explained the deliberate pace of the investigation, which began in June 2024. "Given the seriousness of the accusations and to protect the integrity of the investigation, it was important that we proceed carefully and thoroughly at every stage," Campbell said. Police are still working to determine the full timeline of the alleged offences. "We are still actively investigating the span of the time that (these offences) happened," Campbell said during a virtual news conference.

King is expected to be returned to Alberta later this week to face the charges. The specific charges include three counts of luring a person under 18, sexual exploitation of a young person and making child pornography. The RCMP is urging any other potential victims to come forward and speak with police. This case follows other recent child exploitation charges in Canada, including the arrest of a Durham police officer on similar charges last month.

With files from The Canadian Press, CBC News and Global News