Hockey Canada CEO, board of directors leave organization amid scandal – National | Globalnews.ca

Hockey Canada’s CEO and entire board of directors will leave the organization after facing fierce criticism for its handling of alleged sexual assaults.

The national organization announced the departures in a statement on Tuesday after hearing months of calls for leadership changes within the body, and seeing its major sponsors walk away over the past week.

“Effective immediately, (Hockey Canada’s board) 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 statement said.

“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.”

Furthermore, Hockey Canada said the board will ask its members to select a new slate of directors no later than an upcoming virtual election, which is scheduled for Dec. 17.

The current board of directors will not seek re-election and will fulfil its “its fiduciary duties until such time as a new board is elected.”

“Hockey Canada is seeking board candidates to shape the future of the organization. We encourage qualified individuals to respond to the call for nominations issued by the independent nominating committee last week,” the statement said.

Hockey Canada added the interim management committee will focus on day-to-day operations and ensure progress on its action plan, including reviewing and working with the board towards the “full implementation of the independent governance review recommendations” and effective transition to a new CEO and board of directors.

On Saturday, Andrea Skinner, who was the interim chair of the board of directors, announced her resignation following testimony at a parliamentary committee earlier in the week in which she defended the organization for its handling of alleged sexual assault cases. Her predecessor, Michael Brind’Amour, resigned in early August, and also appeared at the same committee hearing.

In wake of their testimonies, major sponsors like Tim Hortons, Imperial Oil, Canadian Tire and Nike announced they would be ending their partnerships with Hockey Canada. Bauer was the latest company to do so on Tuesday, saying it would be pausing its role as the official equipment provider to Hockey Canada’s men’s teams and its sponsorship of men’s tournaments.

Hockey Canada also saw provincial organizations demand change in leadership, with groups like Hockey Quebec withholding registration fees to the national body.

The controversy surrounding Hockey Canada started to unfold in May when TSN reported that an undisclosed settlement had been paid to a woman who alleged in a $3.55-million lawsuit she was sexually assaulted by eight players — including members of the country’s world junior team — after a 2018 Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont.

Shortly after, news broke Hockey Canada had a fund partly maintained by minor hockey registration fees to pay for uninsured liabilities, including sexual assault and abuse claims.

A Hockey Canada official testified on Parliament Hill in July the organization had doled out $7.6 million in nine settlements related to sexual assault and abuse claims since 1989, not including this year’s payout to the London plaintiff. The majority went to the victims of disgraced former junior hockey coach Graham James.

The organization then announced members of the 2003 men’s world junior team were being investigated for a group sexual assault, as calls for change at the top mounted. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

— with files from The Canadian Press