The Quebec Minister of Sport, Isabelle Charest, recalled Wednesday that she did not have the power to impose a change of governance within the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (LHJMQ).
The minister still believes that there are changes to be made within the league’s board of directors and that it should be more diversified. This is a recommendation from the report of the Committee on Culture and Education tabled on Tuesday.
“I think there is definitely a change to be made because the governance was sclerotic and because it was really very uniform. So they have a recommendation that is given. They will have to take this into consideration and see how they will apply it,” said the minister.
“But it remains a private enterprise and they will do what they want,” she added.
On Tuesday, Liberal MP Enrico Ciccone, who sat on the commission, issued a warning to league leaders: “Govern yourself because otherwise we will go to another stage,” he said.
The elected representative of Marquette said that if necessary, the leaders of the league could be convened again in committee.
Minister Charest did not want to go down this path. “We haven’t gotten there. I think the first thing is to let them work before you start scaring them and saying, ‘We’re waiting for you,’” she said.
The minister did not want to give the league a deadline to comply with the recommendations.
The report of the commission, which was made up of several deputies, also asks that we change the culture of initiations in the middle of major junior hockey. It is recommended that “sports federations develop a policy on hazing and inappropriate hazing practices”.