Hockey Canada CEO and entire board of directors finally step down

Oct 11 2022, 3:27 pm

Hockey Canada is officially cleaning house.

Amid a several-month period where the organization has been under scrutiny for its handling of sexual assault allegations levied at members of the 2003 and 2018 Canadian World Junior teams, the entire board of directors and CEO Scott Smith announced their pending resignations on Tuesday.

“The Hockey Canada Board of Directors has announced important changes to Hockey Canada’s leadership team. Effective immediately, it announced the departure of chief executive officer Scott Smith. The entire Board has also agreed to step down to make room for a new slate of directors,” the organization announced in a statement on Tuesday. “An interim management committee will be put in place, which will guide the organization until no later than a newly constituted Board appoints a new CEO to lead the organization.”

An interim leadership committee will be announced in the coming days.

The new board will be selected “by no later than the forthcoming virtual election scheduled for December 17, 2022,” the organization added. “The Board will not seek re-election and will fulfill its fiduciary duties until such time as a new Board is elected.”

Public opinion of the organization was further soured when it was revealed Hockey Canada was allegedly using funds from player registrations across the country to help cover the court and settlement costs for sexual assault trials involving members of the organization.

Big name sponsors such as Canadian Tire have permanently dropped ties with the organization, while Tim Hortons is now only sponsoring the women’s, para, and youth teams.

The resignations come on the heels of appearances by the organization’s top brass in front of the House of Commons last week, which was panned by members of all major political parties.

“I think it boggles the mind that Hockey Canada is continuing to dig in its heels,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters last week. “Parents across the country are losing faith, or have lost faith, in Hockey Canada. Certainly, politicians here in Ottawa have lost faith.”

The organization states they are “recognizing the urgent need for new leadership and perspectives.”

Adam LaskarisAdam Laskaris

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