![Referee Martin Pronovost wears a Hockey Canada crest crossed with a black ribbon during an ice hockey game at La Plaine Arena in Montreal on June 10, 2022, to spark discussion and raise awareness as the federation hockey faces a sexual assault scandal. - True Canadian pride, ice hockey and especially its national federation have been going through dark times in recent weeks, tarnished by a gang rape case that resurfaced a culture of silence too long ignored. In May, Canadians were shocked to learn that eight players from the 2018 National Junior Team had been charged with the sexual assault of a young woman by a gang. It was even more surprising when they learned that the organization supposedly overseeing them had allegedly tried to cover up the affair by reaching a confidential multimillion-dollar settlement with the victim. (Photo by Mathiew LEISER/AFP) (Photo by MATHIEW LEISER/AFP via Getty Images)](https://oponame.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Understand-Hockey-Canadas-situation-and-how-it-needs-to-change.jpg)
Referee Martin Pronovost wears a Hockey Canada crest crossed with a black ribbon during an ice hockey game at La Plaine Arena in Montreal on June 10, 2022, to spark discussion and awareness. (MATHIEW LEISER/AFP via Getty Images)
Hockey Canada’s mishandling of a sexual assault allegation in 2018 prompted an overhaul of the organization’s leadership and sparked discussions about how to change the culture of hockey.
Many wonder how Hockey Canada can most effectively restructure itself to prevent this from happening again, or if it is even possible in the current culture. To consider the options, we need to make sure we understand the nuances of the situation. And to do that, we enlisted The Athletic’s investigative reporter Katie Strang, who has been a leading authority throughout the investigation, and To Hockey, With Love co-creator Gabriela Ugarte, who brings a unique perspective with her research on hockey culture.
Their expertise will guide us as we navigate the timeline of events leading to the mass exodus of Hockey Canada’s leadership and assess what the future might look like.
Hockey Canada reached a settlement in May with a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by eight players, including members of the 2018 Canadian junior team. Hockey Canada announced in July that it was reopening the investigation, acknowledging in a said she had “not done enough to respond to the actions of some members of the 2018 Junior National Team or to end the culture of toxic behavior in our sport.”
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“I think it’s mind-boggling that Hockey Canada continues to be stubborn,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters when asked about the organization’s handling of sexual assault allegations. His comments come as Hockey Quebec said it would cut ties with Hockey Canada.#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/N4qrBawFJJ
“One of the things that I think is underestimated is how civil litigation works in the United States and Canada,” Strang told Bleacher Report. “It’s one of the ways alleged victims can seek redress when they’ve been harmed. People don’t always understand that if you’re a victim of sexual assault, you’ll most likely, as a result of this trauma, incur a lot of expenses, whether in medical expenses, therapy, loss of work capacity, loss of quality of life.
“So a lot of people have this misconception that when somebody agrees to a settlement, they were motivated by money. It’s basically a myth. It’s just one of the ways our northeastern legal system American is able to provide a level of recourse.”
The reopened investigation revealed even more troubling details regarding several secret reserve funds and an intentional lack of transparency regarding the settlements.
Calls for change – from the public, Canadian political figures and sponsors (many of whom have dropped their sponsorship) – intensified in early October in light of reports that Hockey Canada had affected registration fees players to a second fund “for matters including but not limited to sexual abuse,” according to documents obtained by The Globe and Mail. Strang reported the existence of a third fund, this one for “uninsured claims,” on Oct. 17.
Former interim board chair Andrea Skinner appeared before the Canadian Heritage Committee the following day The Globe and Mailin her initial report, saying she “fundamentally disagrees” with the report and how it has been categorized in the media.
Skinner made several statements in defense of Hockey Canada’s leadership before the committee, calling the reports “substantial misinformation and unduly cynical attacks,” but offering few details.
“Unfortunately, toxic behaviors exist throughout society. No segment of society is immune,” she said. “Suggesting that toxic behavior is somehow a hockey-specific problem or scapegoating hockey as the centerpiece of toxic culture is, in my view, counterproductive to finding solutions.”
Strang disagrees with Skinner’s statements: “I think just blaming it on a bigger societal problem is, in my view, lazy, reductive and an attempt to hijack the responsibility, accountability and blame rather than showing a sense of responsibility and introspection as to why there are certain cultural issues in the sport of hockey…. The first step to educating and eradicating sexual violence is to carefully consider why it occurs.
“How can someone’s argument be, ‘Well, your sport has abused people, so why can’t this happen in ours,'” Ugarte added. why is this so common in organized sports?”
In the days following the new findings – and Skinner’s statements in Hockey Canada’s third round of hearings – sponsors such as Tim Hortons, Scotiabank, Telus, Canadian Tire, Imperial Oil, Skip the Dishes, Sobeys, BDO, Recipe, Nike and Bauer withdrew support in various capacities.
Amid growing financial pressure, Skinner resigned Oct. 8, and Hockey Canada CEO and President Scott Smith and the board resigned Oct. 11.
“I certainly think the haemorrhaging of corporate dollars played a huge role in the mass exodus we had last week,” Strang said. “I think the money talks, and I think the fact that so many sponsors weren’t just cutting ties with the organization financially, but were taking a symbolic position. They’re saying, ‘It’s untenable for us to “to be more associated with you, because the reputational damage we might incur as a result of that association is no longer worth it. And I think Hockey Canada has finally realized the impact that the past few months have really had.”
The NHL is conducting its own investigation into the alleged sexual assault that took place in 2018, but there has been no word of a resolution, only that the investigation is “closer to the end,” according to the deputy. – Commissioner Bill Daly.
Hockey Canada will create an interim management committee until a new board appoints a new CEO. The board also asked members to select a provisional slate of directors until a new board is elected. The virtual election is scheduled for December 17.
The role of the interim management group will be to manage day-to-day operations and continue to implement Hockey Canada’s action plan.
“I’m very curious to see who is on this interim management committee,” Strang said. “I feel like Hockey Canada hasn’t been really transparent about it – I asked them. And that really makes me wonder how committed they are to infusing the organization with people who are committed to driving change, versus how much they are trying to salvage some level of institutional continuity.”
Getting rid of the old Hockey Canada leadership group was a necessary step in changing the culture, but there is still work to be done between the appointment of an interim group and the election of a new board. What should we pay attention to when new faces emerge in the organization?
“I think the fact that this board has traditionally been made up of older white men for a long time is problematic,” Strang said. “Not just because you get a really homogenous perspective, but because it doesn’t accurately reflect the demographics of the hockey playing community in Canada.” She added: “You need someone on the board who is trained and experienced in dealing with sexual violence.”
Ugarte added that it goes beyond diversity for the sake of diversity.
“We need to see people of different gender identities, races, sexualities, abilities, socio-economic backgrounds and with a range of work experiences,” she said. “The council would benefit from having academics who have studied the sport, community organizers and people who have experience with victims of violence. Having a diverse council and staff is not just the politically correct movement. “or whatever they want to call it. . It protects an organization from creating these types of island cultures.”
None of this is easy to say, and much of it is hard to understand. It will take hard work at all levels to change the culture of hockey.
“These men didn’t flip a switch and suddenly thought it was okay to assault someone at this Hockey Canada event,” Ugarte said. “It’s the result of the culture they were raised in, and most of that development happens in junior hockey. We need to pay more attention to organizations like the CHL who are responsible for many of these men during critical times in their emotional lives. and social development.”
To love hockey is to demand the best. Skinner is correct that toxic behaviors occur throughout society, and sexual assault and abuse should be addressed everywhere. But I particularly like hockey, and it is clear that changes are necessary.
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