Hockey Canada has introduced its entire board of directors and its CEO will step aside because the group confronts widespread criticism over the way it dealt with an alleged group sexual assault involving members of the 2018 males’s nationwide junior crew.
In a media assertion, the sports activities group confirms that, efficient instantly, chief govt officer Scott Smith is leaving.
The assertion says that an interim administration committee will be put in place till a newly constituted board appoints a brand new CEO to guide the group.
A digital election is scheduled for Dec. 17. Hockey Canada’s assertion says the present board will not search re-election.
The interim administration committee will give attention to day-to-day operations, together with reviewing and dealing with members and implementing a pending report on Hockey Canada’s governance, the group says in its assertion.
Sponsors bailing
Andrea Skinner resigned as a director and interim board chair of Hockey Canada over the weekend — days after her controversial look earlier than a parliamentary committee, throughout which she defended the group.
In entrance of MPs, she described Hockey Canada because the sufferer and mentioned her board would not consider senior management “ought to be changed on the premise of what we contemplate to be substantial misinformation and unduly cynical assaults.”
Major sponsors — together with Nike, Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire, Esso and Telus — responded by slicing ties with Hockey Canada completely or by withdrawing funding for males’s hockey this season.
Federal Sport Minister Pascale St-Onge mentioned she was annoyed with Hockey Canada’s management following Skinner’s committee look.
“I hope they perceive the message and depart earlier than they burn it to the bottom,” she mentioned Thursday. “To renew this group, it must be rebuilt.”
Conservative MP John Nater, a member of the committee probing the Hockey Canada allegations, mentioned it mustn’t have taken this lengthy for the manager to depart.
“But I’m hopeful that we will lastly see significant adjustments to the governance, group and tradition of Hockey Canada,” he tweeted.
“There remains to be a lot work to do.”