Hockey Canadian CEO Scott Smith and predecessor Tom Rainey Will be back in Ottawa next week as members of parliament continue to pressure the under-fire federation for answers about its handling of the alleged sexual assault and out-of-court settlement that rocked the game.
Smith, Renee, East Hockey Canada Glen McCurdy, vice president of insurance and risk management, and Canadian Hockey League President Dan Mackenzie is due to testify before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on Parliament Hill next Wednesday.
The same goes for the heads of the country’s three major junior circuits – Quebec Major Junior Hockey League commissioner Gilles Courteau, Ontario Hockey League commissioner David Branch and Western Hockey League commissioner Ron Robison.
Hockey Canada has been under intense scrutiny since news broke in May that it quietly settled a lawsuit filed by a woman alleging that after a gala event in London including members of the country’s 2018 world junior team Eight unknown players had assaulted him. Ontario, four years ago.
The temperature on the sport’s national body rose further this week when the Canadian press first reported that it maintains a fund – money drawn from membership fees collected across the country – to pay for insured liabilities, including claims of sexual abuse. For.
The detail was included in a July 2021 affidavit sworn in by McCurdy as part of a lawsuit initiated by an injured player in Ontario.
McCurdy’s affidavit states, “Hockey Canada maintains a reserve in a separate account to pay any such uninsured liabilities that “insured liabilities include potential claims of historical sexual abuse.”
Hockey Canada confirmed that it maintains a “National Equity Fund” to cover “a wide range of expenses related to safety, welfare and equity initiatives”.
“The funds are also used to pay for the organization’s insurance premiums and to cover any claims not covered by insurance policies relating to bodily injury, harassment and sexual misconduct,” the statement said.
Hockey Canada stated that the fund was “established in a manner consistent with reserve funds maintained by other large national organizations.”
The revelation shocked Canadians, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was asked about both his faith in the fund and the leadership of the Federation.
“I think right now it’s hard for anyone in Canada to trust or trust anyone in Hockey Canada,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“What are we learning? Absolutely unacceptable.”
Barry Lorenzetti, president and CEO of insurance provider BFL Canada, and Dave Andrews, president of the Hockey Canada Foundation, are also due to testify before the committee on Wednesday.
Danielle Robitel of Henin Hutchison LLP – the law firm conducting an incomplete third-party investigation for Hockey Canada in response to the alleged incident – is expected to appear with Sports Minister Pascal Saint-Onge and officials from Sport Canada and the Department on Tuesday. of Canadian heritage.
Smith, Renee, McCurdy, McKenzie, Curto, Branch and Robison will appear before the committee under the summons.
Smith, who is also president of Hockey Canada, took over as CEO of Rainey, retiring on July 1.
As Hockey Canada reopens investigation into alleged sexual assault, here’s what 2018 players say so far
Renee, Smith and Andrews testified before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage last month after TSN first reported the alleged assault and settlement.
Lawmakers were upset by what they heard, including that Hockey Canada did not mandate participation in its investigation, did not know the identities of the players, and paid settlements without a full picture of what happened.
Smith testified that “12 or 13” of 19 players were interviewed before Hockey Canada’s original investigation ended in September 2020. London Police closed their investigation in February 2019 without being charged.
Women’s Hockey Canada was seeking more than $3.5 million in damages from the CHL and the players. Details of the settlement are not public, but Smith testified last month that the organization liquidated the investment to pay for the settlement.
“If you want real accountability from Hockey Canada, you should have demanded all players attend interviews (with an outside law firm),” Conservative MP Kevin Waugh told Smith on the committee last month.
“You own it – it’s unacceptable.”
The Block Quebecois counterpart Sebastien Lemire suggested in French that Hockey Canada is “John Doe No. 9 in this case”.
The outcome of that committee meeting was swift.
Unhappy with what they heard, lawmakers called for this next round of meetings, a revised copy of the non-disclosure agreement relating to the agreement and a long list of Hockey Canada communications.
Hockey Canada cut federal funding as the government awaits answers on accountability and transparency, while several corporations withheld sponsorship dollars.
The federation issued an open letter to Canadians last week that made several promises, including a pledge to reopen third-party investigations – participation is now mandatory – and a full governance review.
“We have not done enough to address the actions of certain members of the 2018 national junior team or to end the culture of toxic behavior within our sport,” Hockey Canada wrote.
“We apologize unconditionally for this.”
The NHL is also conducting an investigation as many players are now in the league, but are not making participation mandatory.
Some members of the 2018 World Junior Team have publicly stated that they were either not involved in the alleged incident or that current NHLers Kale Makar, Robert Thomas, Jordan Kiro, Victor Mete, Connor Timmins, Taylor Radisch and Gala did not attend . Jonah Gadjovich.
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