Hockey Canada faces another round of federal hearings on the issue. Jeff Vinnick
Hockey Canada reopens a third-party investigation into allegations of sexual assault against eight Canadian Hockey League players, after the organization’s handling of the alleged incident triggered federal committee hearings and the suspension of corporate associations.
The national governing body of hockey said in an open letter on Thursday that it will take a series of measures to “end the culture of toxic behavior” within the sport. Among the actions described is the resumption of an investigation into allegations that a group of CHL players, including members of the 2018 junior world medal-winning junior team, sexually assaulted a woman after a gala of the Hockey Canada Foundation in London, Ontario, on June 18, 2018.
The consequences of the allegations have been widespread. Ottawa stopped its funding to Hockey Canada while conducting a financial audit to confirm that taxpayer dollars were not used in a deal related to the alleged incident. The National Hockey League began its own investigation, as some players who attended the 2018 gala could now be in the league.
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Companies like Scotiabank, Tim Hortons and Telus paused or withdrew their support for Hockey Canada or specific events, including the world juniors to be held in Alberta next month.
In Montreal on Thursday, Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge described the measures announced by Hockey Canada as a “good step in the right direction,” but said she is waiting for action before Ottawa takes over. more decisions.
Hockey Canada faces another round of federal hearings on the issue, scheduled for July 26-27 in Ottawa. In addition to executives and officials from the Hockey Canada government, the Canadian Heritage Committee has said it wants to hear the president of a liability insurance company and Henein Hutchison, the law firm that conducts the investigation. of third parties.
Hockey Canada has said Henein Hutchison’s initial investigation could not be completed because the alleged victim chose not to speak to the investigator. The woman’s attorney, Rob Talach, said in an email that her client will participate this time.
In addition to reopening the investigation, Hockey Canada announced that it will also: require all players, coaches, team staff and high-performance volunteers to participate in mandatory training on sexual violence and consent; conduct a governance review; commit to becoming a signatory to the newly created Federal Office of the Commissioner for Sports Integrity; and create an independent and confidential complaint mechanism.
“We know we are at a crossroads and that the journey ahead is important that will define not only the game in the future, but the future of Canadian hockey,” the organization said in its letter.
The allegations were made public in late May, when TSN reported that an agreement had been reached in a $ 3.55 million lawsuit, citing eight unnamed players, the CHL and Hockey Canada as defendants. Hockey Canada has said it covered the deal on behalf of the parties by liquidating a portion of their investments.
According to her statement, the woman, now 24, “engaged in sexual acts” with John Doe number 1 in her hotel room. Without his consent, according to the claim, No. 1 John Doe invited seven more players to the room, where they participated in “some or all” of a list of sexual acts.
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Hockey Canada has said the woman lodged a complaint with the London Police Service, which launched a criminal investigation. The sports organization has said it was notified in February 2019 that the police service had closed its investigation. No charges were filed.
Anil Kapoor, a lawyer for one of the players, criticized Hockey Canada for its characterization of the accusations in the open letter. “This Hockey Canada letter is based on a presumption of guilt,” he said. “This is deeply unfair to the players. We have serious doubts about the fairness of the process. “
At federal committee hearings last month, outgoing general manager of Hockey Canada, Tom Renney, told lawmakers that just hours after learning of the allegations on June 19, 2018, the organization contacted local police and hired Henein Hutchison to conduct third-party research.
Mr Renney, who said he informed the Hockey Canada board in April 2021 that he would not extend his contract, said the organization told players it was their choice if they participated in research, but encouraged them to do so. Hockey Canada executives gave conflicting testimony to the committee about the number of players involved in the investigation.
In its open letter, Hockey Canada says it will now require all players to participate in the reopened investigation. Failure to do so will be prohibited from all Hockey Canada activities and programs.
“Once the investigation is completed, it will be referred to an independent arbitral tribunal of current and past judges to determine the appropriate consequences, which may include a lifetime ban on the activity of Hockey Canada, on and off the ice,” says the letter.
The NHL declined to say whether the league would force players to participate in their investigation and what consequences they could face if they do not. “The NHL intends to continue following and conducting our investigation,” league spokesman Gary Meagher said in an email. “We won’t comment again until it’s over.”
With regard to federal funding, Ms. St-Onge said Hockey Canada would only see it restored once the organization signed into the new Office of the Commissioner for Sports Integrity, whose mandate is to deal with serious complaints of abuse and mistreatment in sport. . He also said Hockey Canada should disclose the recommendations made as a result of Henein Hutchison’s initial investigation. (Hockey Canada’s open letter does not include a commitment to publish any such recommendations).
Several Hockey Canada partners who have withdrawn or stopped their support also reacted to the open letter, including Scotiabank, which described the organization’s statement as a “next positive step,” and Nike, which said it has raised concerns with Hockey Canada and that it is “deeply”. disturbed ”by the allegations. TSN and RDS, which air the global juniors next month, said they “look forward to reviewing the changes the organization will describe in its action plan.”
Conservative MP Kevin Waugh, who is on the Canadian Heritage Committee, said he expects federal hearings by the end of the month to be “tumultuous”. Prior to the hearings, the committee requested a drafted copy of the confidentiality agreement related to the agreement, as well as communications between Hockey Canada and teams, players and federal officials.
“Hockey Canada is right that people are angry,” Waugh said in an interview from Saskatoon, referring to comments made in the open letter. “I heard it here on the street. You would feel it all over the country. “
With reports from Simon Houpt, Joe Friesen and Colin Freeze
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