A Colorado youth hockey coach’s arrest on multiple felony child sex abuse allegations is adding to growing concerns about safeguarding failures and a troubling pattern of misconduct cases involving coaches in the state’s youth hockey system.
A Colorado youth hockey coach is facing multiple felony allegations following his arrest in Douglas County, marking the latest in a series of disturbing criminal cases involving coaches connected to youth hockey programs in Colorado.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that 40-year-old Rory Nathaniel Mushlin of Colorado Springs is being held on suspicion of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, unlawful electronic sexual communication with a minor involving a position of trust, obscenity, and internet sexual exploitation of a child. Investigators say multiple underage victims have already been identified.
Authorities allege Mushlin had been working as a youth coach at the South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch since 2023. His teams also reportedly held practices at the Parker Field House and the Family Sports Center, according to investigators.
Officials are asking anyone with additional information to contact Detective S. Clay at [email protected].
The case was first reported by The Denver Post, with reporter Sam Tabachnik credited for breaking the story.
A Broader Pattern in Colorado Youth Hockey Cases
The arrest comes amid renewed scrutiny of safeguarding practices in youth hockey programs across Colorado and beyond, following multiple high-profile criminal cases involving coaches in recent years.
In one of the most significant cases, former Colorado youth hockey coach Kevin Whitmer, a Denver resident and former assistant head coach of the Colorado Thunderbirds, pleaded no contest in 2024 to 12 counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. He is expected to serve a 25-year prison sentence.
Whitmer’s case also led to a $4.6 million civil settlement involving Sharks Sports & Entertainment and its subsidiary Sharks Ice after a former San Jose Jr. Sharks player alleged he was groomed and sexually abused over multiple years beginning when he was 12. The lawsuit claimed organizational failures allowed Whitmer to maintain unauthorized access to minors through youth hockey facilities.
According to court records and investigative filings, Whitmer’s abuse occurred both at Sharks Ice facilities in San José and at private locations in San Jose and Colorado after he left the organization. He was later arrested in Denver following a law enforcement investigation.
The civil case alleged systemic breakdowns in enforcement of USA Hockey safety protocols, particularly rules requiring supervision in locker rooms and limiting one-on-one interactions between adults and minors.
While Sharks Sports & Entertainment has maintained it was not aware of any allegations until after Whitmer’s departure, the case ultimately resolved without any admission of wrongdoing.
Ongoing Concern Around Youth Sports Oversight
Taken together, the cases have intensified concern around how youth hockey programs vet, monitor, and supervise coaches who operate in close proximity to minors, particularly in multi-facility club systems that span states and organizations.
The Mushlin case is still under investigation, and authorities have not released additional details about court proceedings.