Hockey Canada Board Member Smith Resigns – TSN.ca

Hockey Canada’s leadership, under fire, finally stepped aside in the face of fierce and unflinching criticism of the embattled organization’s handling of sexual assault allegations.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Tuesday’s developments have taken too long – and the departures are just a “first step” in transforming sport in this country.

NEWS | Hockey Canada has made significant changes to its leadership team.

READ MORE ➡️ https://t.co/n4POYnLfLY pic.twitter.com/WdTIzIxZ64

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) October 11, 2022

“There’s a culture that needs to change,” Trudeau told reporters in Sorel-Tracy, Que. “There’s a lot of work to be done to ensure Hockey Canada’s structures and systems protect employees, protect Canadians and protect our children while they play hockey.”

Hockey Canada announced hours earlier that Scott Smith was stepping down as president and CEO while the board resigned.

Here is my statement on the resignation of those responsible for Hockey Canada: pic.twitter.com/aaOu4GqN1g

— Pascale St-Onge (@PascaleStOnge_) October 11, 2022

Smith spent nearly three decades climbing the organization’s corporate ladder, but stayed on top for just over three months after a spring and summer of scandals shook the institution to its core.

He was unable to survive the fallout surrounding Hockey Canada’s mishandling of assault allegations and settlement payouts – revelations that both infuriated the country and opened another conversation about the sport.

Hockey Canada said in a statement that an interim management committee will oversee the organization until a new board, to be elected in December, appoints Smith’s successor.

Hockey Canada said the outgoing board recognized “the urgent need for new leadership and fresh perspectives” in stepping down.

Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge called Tuesday’s changes “a step to restore Canadians’ confidence in the organization.”

“The interim management committee must be made up of people who want to make real change,” she said in a statement.

“We expect Hockey Canada to actively work toward a team whose expertise will contribute to better player support and education and an environment free of sexual violence and discrimination.”

Smith and the outgoing board follow former chairman Michael Brind’Amour, who resigned in August, and interim chairman Andrea Skinner, who resigned Saturday, as victims of an organization that has seen politicians, including Trudeau, call for change. when corporate sponsors jumped ship.

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, a member of the House of Commons Heritage Committee that looks at Hockey Canada, said Tuesday’s news “appears to be a big step.”

He added it was his belief that when Skinner and Brind’Amour appeared before the committee last week – the third time Hockey Canada officials have been called to Parliament Hill since June – they and other members of the leadership thought the Storm can still be weathered.

Instead, the heat turned up even more after a disastrous performance that saw the organization continue to dig into Smith’s heels and back.

“If the Hockey Canada Legacy Committee hadn’t gone as badly as it did last week, I don’t think this would have happened,” Housefather said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “Their intention on the way to the meeting was to tell everyone that the media is wrong and that they are being made a scapegoat and that they are fine.

“The meeting and everything that followed made it happen.”

A number of high-profile corporate sponsors then either paused entirely and withdrew funding.

Tim Hortons, who said last week that he would not be funding the men’s program for the upcoming season, called Tuesday’s changes “a first step for Hockey Canada to do what is needed to build the faith and confidence of Canadians.” to restore”.

“We will not resume our support for Hockey Canada’s men’s program until we are confident that the process will go through and Canadians regain faith in the organization’s leadership and their ability to do what is right for the game, which we all do.” love,” the company said in a statement.

NDP MP Peter Julian said Tuesday the scandals resonate because lawmakers have never moved “to ensure accountability and transparency and a zero-tolerance policy on issues of sexual abuse and sexual violence.”

“The federal government needs to strengthen itself,” said Julian in an interview. “For all the national sports organizations that have basically been able to do whatever they want without government oversight for far too long.”

St-Onge said the government is looking to overhaul its own policy so that its department not only funds sport but can do more to ensure sporting organizations are held accountable for their actions.

Smith took over from outgoing CEO Tom Renney on July 1 after a succession plan was announced in April, but the world of Hockey Canada began to crumble shortly thereafter.

TSN first reported in May that an undisclosed settlement had been paid to a woman in a $3.55 million lawsuit claiming she was out of eight players – including members of the – after a Hockey Canada 2018 gala in London World junior team in the country – sexually assaulted. Ont.

Smith, who previously served as both president and COO, and the soon-to-retire Renney were grilled during the first committee meeting in June, which looked at Hockey Canada.

MPs were stunned by what they saw as a lack of transparency and accountability. Hockey Canada subsequently ceased federal funding while a number of companies paused sponsorship funds.

Hockey Canada released an open letter in July that included a number of promises, including a pledge to reopen an investigation into the alleged 2018 third-party attack and a full governance review.

But the ugly headlines continued when it was revealed that Hockey Canada was using a secret fund, maintained in part by petty hockey registration fees, to pay for uninsured liabilities, including sexual assault and abuse claims.

Then, days before releasing an “Action Plan” to address safe sport issues, Hockey Canada announced that members of the 2003 World Junior Team were being investigated for a group sexual assault.

Hockey Canada officials told lawmakers in July that the organization had paid out $7.6 million in nine settlements related to sexual assault and abuse claims since 1989, not counting this year’s payout to the London plaintiff.

Smith testified again in July before the inheritance committee during a meeting at which he repeatedly resisted calls for his resignation.

Police in London, meanwhile, have reopened their investigation into the 2018 incident. The NHL is also conducting an investigation. None of the allegations were proven in court.

Calls for Smith’s ouster grew louder last week after the most recent committee meeting after Hockey Canada’s former and current chief executives backed the executive, with Skinner adding that the sport should not be made a “scapegoat” for a toxic culture growing up elsewhere exists in society.

Reaction to these comments was swift, with provincial organizations withdrawing funds and a number of corporate sponsors – including Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire and Nike – either pausing or withdrawing millions of sponsorship funds entirely.

Mary-Kay Messier, Bauer’s vice president of global marketing, said the company, which paused portions of its sponsorships before Hockey Canada’s leadership change was announced, tried to work behind the scenes.

“Our plan was to hopefully be able to effect change,” she said. “Our meetings led us to believe that wasn’t going to happen.”

Trudeau last week considered replacing Hockey Canada with another national governing body, while the Nova Scotia premier said he needed significant changes for his province to implement plans to host the upcoming World Juniors in Halifax and Moncton, NB

The dominoes finally started falling over the weekend when Skinner resigned before Smith and the rest of the board stepped down on Tuesday.

“There is a lot that needs to be done to change the culture at Hockey Canada,” said Trudeau. “But today was an important first step.”

– With files by Mia Rabson in Ottawa, Morgan Lowrie in Sorel-Tracy, Que., John Chidley-Hill in Toronto and Brett Bundale in Halifax.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on October 11, 2022.

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Follow @JClipperton_CP on Twitter.

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Here is Hockey Canada’s full statement:

The Board of Directors of Hockey Canada has announced important changes to the Hockey Canada leadership team. Effective immediately, she announced the departure of Chief Executive Officer Scott Smith. The entire board has also agreed to step down to make room for a new roster of directors.

An interim management committee will be established that will lead the organization pending a newly constituted board of directors appointing a new CEO to lead the organization.

In recognition of the urgent need for fresh leadership and perspective, the entire board announced that they will be stepping down, and in accordance with the Hockey Canada bylaws, the board will ask its members to select a new list of directors no later than the upcoming virtual elections scheduled for December 17 2022. The Board will not seek re-election and will perform its fiduciary duties until a new Board is elected.

Hockey Canada is seeking board candidates to help shape the organization’s future. We encourage qualified individuals to respond to the call for nominations published by the independent nominations committee last week.

The Interim Management Committee will focus on day-to-day operations and ensure progress on the implementation of Hockey Canada’s Action Plan, including reviewing and working with the Board and Members to fully implement the independent governance review recommendations of The Honorable Thomas Cromwell, CC, former Supreme Court Justice, and is working to facilitate the effective transition to a new CEO and Board of Directors.

Hockey Canada will continue to provide public updates on these important changes as well as further work to implement its ongoing plan of action.