Hockey Canada CEO Scott Smith and his predecessor Tom Renney will return to Ottawa next week. MPs continue to press the federation, under heavy fire, for answers over its handling of an alleged sexual assault and out-of-court settlement that rocked the sport.
Posted at 3:42 p.m.
Smith, Renney, former Hockey Canada vice-president of insurance and risk management Glen McCurdie and Canadian Hockey League president Dan MacKenzie are scheduled to testify before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage next Wednesday. , on Parliament Hill.
The same goes for the leaders of the country’s three main junior circuits – Gilles Courteau, commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, David Branch, commissioner of the Ontario Hockey League, and Ron Robison, commissioner of the Western Hockey League.
Hockey Canada has been under intense scrutiny since it learned in May that it quietly settled a lawsuit brought by a woman who alleges she was assaulted while intoxicated by eight anonymous players, including members of the 2018 Junior Team Canada, following a gala held in London, Ontario four years ago.
The pressure on the national sports body increased further this week when The Canadian Press was first to report that it maintains a fund – money is taken from membership dues collected across the country – to pay for liabilities uninsured, including sexual abuse claims.
The detail was included in an affidavit given by Mr McCurdie in July 2021 in a lawsuit brought by an injured player in Ontario.
“Hockey Canada maintains a reserve in a separate account to pay such uninsured liabilities as they arise,” read McCurdie’s affidavit, which goes on to say that “uninsured liabilities include potential claims for past sexual abuse. »
Hockey Canada has confirmed that it maintains a “National Equity Fund” to cover a “wide range of expenses related to safety, wellbeing and equity initiatives”.
“The fund is also used to pay the organization’s insurance premiums and to cover any claims not otherwise covered by insurance policies, including those related to physical injury, harassment and harassment. sexual misconduct,” the statement read.
Hockey Canada added that the fund was “established in a manner consistent with reserve funds maintained by other major national organizations.”
The revelation stunned Canadians, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was asked about both the fund and his confidence in the leadership of the federation. “I think right now it’s hard for anyone in Canada to have faith or trust in anyone at Hockey Canada,” he told reporters Tuesday.
“What we are learning…is absolutely unacceptable. »
Barry Lorenzetti, president and CEO of insurance provider BFL Canada, and Dave Andrews, president of the Hockey Canada Foundation, are also scheduled to testify before the committee on Wednesday.
Danielle Robitaille of Henein Hutchison LLP – the law firm that conducted an incomplete third-party investigation on behalf of Hockey Canada in response to the alleged incident – is scheduled to appear Tuesday along with Sports Minister Pascale St. -Onge and representatives of Sport Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Smith, Renney, McCurdie, MacKenzie, Courteau, Branch and Robison will appear before the committee under subpoena.
Mr. Smith, who is also president of Hockey Canada, replaced Mr. Renney, who is retiring, as general manager on 1er July.
Another session
Renney, Smith and Andrews testified before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage last month after TSN reported the alleged assault and the settlement.
Parliamentarians were troubled by what they heard, including that Hockey Canada did not mandate participation in its investigation, that it did not know the identities of the players in question and that it paid the settlement without having an overview of what happened.
Smith said “12 or 13” of the 19 players were interviewed before Hockey Canada’s initial investigation concluded in September 2020. London police closed their investigation in February 2019 without laying charges.
The woman was seeking more than $3.5 million in damages from Hockey Canada, the CHL and the players. Details of the settlement are not public, but Smith testified last month that the organization liquidated investments to pay for the settlement.
“If you want real accountability from Hockey Canada, you should have required all players to participate in interviews [avec le cabinet d’avocats externe] Tory MP Kevin Waugh told Mr Smith in committee last month.
“It’s your fault – it’s unacceptable. »
His Bloc Québécois counterpart Sébastien Lemire suggested that Hockey Canada is “John Doe No. 9 in this case”.
The fallout from this committee meeting was rapid.
Hockey Canada has seen its federal funding halted as the government awaits answers on accountability and transparency, while a number of companies have paused partnerships.
Last week, the federation released an open letter to Canadians, in which it made a number of promises, including to reopen the third-party investigation – participation is now mandatory – and to conduct a review. complete governance.
“We have not done enough to remedy the actions of some members of the 2018 National Junior Team or to end the culture of toxic behavior within our sport,” Hockey Canada wrote.
“For this, we unreservedly apologize. »
The NHL is also investigating because several of the players are now in the league, but is not mandating their participation.
A number of 2018 World Junior Team members have publicly stated that they were not involved in the alleged incident or did not attend the gala, including current NHL players Cale Makar , Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Victor Mete, Conor Timmins, Taylor Raddysh and Jonah Gadjovich.