International Ice Hockey Federation president Luc Tardif says Hockey Canada’s new board of directors should be given a chance to fix the scandal-plagued organization.
Speaking ahead of the bronze and gold-medal games at the World Junior Hockey Championships, Tardif said he met face-to-face with chair Hugh Fraser, who was elected along with eight directors last month, and was optimistic about the future.
The previous board resigned in October – president and CEO Scott Smith quit the same day – in the wake of the federation’s handling of alleged sexual assaults and payments to victims.
Tardif said the scandals had damaged the sport, but “we don’t need to throw (out) the baby with the bathwater.”
He added that “there is still some good left in ice hockey, but we have to do right.”
Tardif was also asked about the NHL’s participation in the 2026 Olympics, saying it wanted an answer by the spring of 2024. The league pulled the plug on the 2022 Games in Beijing due to COVID-19 concerns and won’t participate in the world’s biggest sports event. Sports Forum since 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on January 5, 2023.