Canada Hockey | And there was light

On May 24, at 6:11 p.m., Federal Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge received an email with the intriguing title: “ Hockey Canada Urgent Discussion Requested “. The message I got was succinct.

“This is Tom Renney, President and CEO of Hockey Canada. I was hoping to be able to talk to you as soon as possible, Minister St-Onge, about a sensitive and urgent matter. I recognize your extremely busy schedule, so feel free to contact me directly at […] as soon as you can. I look forward to hearing from you. »

Hockey Canada had just quietly reached an out-of-court settlement that would allow eight hockey players from the 2018 National Junior Team to avoid a gang rape trial. Without this agreement, the players would have been identified, and they would have had to face charges of sexual assault.

Let’s go back for a moment to the short letter from Tom Renney. Note his expression. “A sensitive and urgent matter. »

It’s a fascinating choice of words. Because in all the crisis that will follow, if there are two things that Hockey Canada has lacked, it is precisely sensitivity and urgency.

For 140 days, Hockey Canada executives stubbornly justified the indefensible – with contempt. They alienated the population, sponsors, provincial federations, the NDP, the Bloc Québécois, the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party, the Minister of Sports and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

For 140 days, the bosses promised a new breath. Change. Transparency. In practice, they did the exact opposite. They replaced the resigning chairman of the board, Michael Brind’Amour, with an even more complacent ally, Andrea Skinner. They are also waging a legal battle against the federal government to prevent it from disclosing the organization’s financial documents. The reason ? It would “harm the competitive position of [Hockey Canada] and would cause him serious difficulties”. I point out that Hockey Canada is the only national hockey federation in the country…

For 140 days, Hockey Canada managers have seen some of their privileges exposed. Here, a luxurious condo made available to them for seven years, in downtown Toronto. There, a $5,000 dinner, or $3,000 rings given to board members, after at least one world championship.

For 140 days, we have also learned of the existence of a reserve fund to cover the costs incurred in sexual assault cases. This fund was fed in particular by the contributions of young hockey players.

These are very big bites to swallow in just 140 days. Last week, new board chair Andrea Skinner had to defend her organization’s record in front of federal MPs. Called to evaluate the work of the new president and chief executive officer, Scott Smith, she gave him a rating of… A.

How can you be so lacking in sensitivity?

His testimony – pitiful – was the final straw. The one that has irked even Hockey Canada’s most loyal partners, like Tim Hortons, Telus and Nike.

Andrea Skinner tendered her resignation on Saturday evening. The rest of the board and Scott Smith also left their positions on Tuesday morning.

Finally.

Their resistance had become futile.

Their fight, ridiculous.

Their victory, impossible.

These departures were desired, desirable and necessary. It’s true, Canada won medals by the dozen under the previous administration. Canada is also the country that provides the most players to the National Hockey League. But these successes mask a toxic culture steeped in elite men’s programs.

This culture must disappear. It won’t happen tomorrow. Nor the day after tomorrow. Nor in a month. Hockey Canada has for years to pay the piper.

In the short term, there are at least four active investigations into allegations of sexual assault against national team players. London police, the NHL and Hockey Canada are each investigating the events of 2018, which led to the out-of-court settlement with the complainant. Halifax police are investigating an alleged gang rape involving players from the 2003 national junior team.

Hockey Canada is also preparing for an important trial. A former hockey player, James McEwan, accuses the federation and the Canadian Hockey League of negligence, for having “perpetuated an environment which allowed and encouraged fights and violence among minors whom they had an obligation to protect”.

In political circles in Ottawa, many are convinced that it is to protect themselves in the context of similar lawsuits that Hockey Canada wants to prevent the government from handing over its documents to a citizen who has requested them, by Access to Information Act.

Also, have we finished digging up the little secrets and privileges of the leaders of Hockey Canada? Federal MPs are determined to continue the work begun last summer before the Heritage Committee. They have the will and the resources to go through with the story.

It’s all depressing, I agree. Fortunately, there is still good news that I want to share with you.

In her testimony last week, Andrea Skinner said she was concerned about a wholesale resignation from Hockey Canada’s management team and board of directors. “I think it will have a very negative impact on our boys and girls playing hockey. Will the lights stay on at the arena? I do not know. We can’t predict that, and to me it’s not a risk worth taking. »

I’m back from the arena.

The bulbs still work.