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Officials from Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League appeared before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in Ottawa on Wednesday, facing questioning over their handling of sexual assault allegations involving members of the 2018 World Junior Team.
The lineup that answered the committee’s questions included:
- Scott Smith – President and COO, Hockey Canada
- Brian Cairo – Chief Financial Officer, Hockey Canada
- Dave Andrews – President, Hockey Canada Foundation
- Tom Renney – CEO, Hockey Canada (retired)
- Glen McCurdie – Senior Vice President, Risk Management and Insurance, Hockey Canada (retired)
- Dan MacKenzie – President Canadian Hockey League
- Gilles Courteau – Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
- David Branch – Ontario Hockey League
- Ron Robison – Western Hockey League
2:00 p.m. ET
This portion of the Hockey Canada hearing is now complete.
Committee chair Hedy Fry says there could be another hearing on the matter in September.
An insurance executive is scheduled to testify now from 2 to 3 p.m.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
1:57 p.m. ET
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather: “…There has to be a bigger cultural shift at Hockey Canada than what you are promising. There are times when good people have to step down because the public has lost faith in them and I’m afraid that’s one of them.”
—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
1:55 p.m. ET
MP Kevin Waugh: “We need to blow up Sport Canada as much as some people want to blow up Hockey Canada…there’s work to be done…we need that…we need a clean up at the hockey…we need a cleanup in sport.”
—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
1:46 p.m. ET
Bloc Québécois MP Sébastien Lemire asks QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau if he will investigate a historic allegation of sexual assault involving Gatineau Olympiques players.
A woman alleged in a 2015 radio interview that she was sexually assaulted by four Gatineau players.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
1:42 p.m. ET
NDP MP Peter Julian asks Hockey Canada’s Scott Smith if the organization will allow any sexual assault victim who has signed an NDA to be released from those agreements and speak out publicly.
Smith says HC will continue to work with victims to “document their wishes.”—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
1:21 p.m. ET
MP Kevin Waugh says CHL teams have an incentive not to penalize players for bad behavior because teams receive bonuses when players are drafted into the NHL.
OHL’s David Branch said a team owner reported to him in September about an alleged case of verbal hazing.
Branch: “Appropriate measures have been taken.”—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
1:05 p.m. ET
NDP MP Peter Julian asks how many sexual abuse settlements paid to Hockey Canada through its National Equity Fund have included non-disclosure agreements.
Former HC Vice President Glen McCurdie says his recollection is that HC settlements do, indeed, have NDAs.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
1:06 p.m. ET
Referring to 10 witnesses for Hockey Canada, the CHL and three major junior leagues (all of whom are white men), MP Kevin Waugh said, “I’m looking at you…that’s not the face of hockey. .. The NHL has moved towards women in [senior] posts. Hockey Canada is behind.
—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
12:55 p.m. ET
MP John Nater asks about abuse complaints received by the OHL, QMJHL and WHL.
The QMJHL has declared that 2 players have been suspended in the last 5 years. OHL says one sexual misconduct complaint has been received in the past 5 years. WHL says 2 players suspended in past 5 years; details not shared with HC.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
12:49 p.m. ET
Catching up on my notes… Liberal MP Chris Bittle earlier asked if former Ontario Provincial Police Constable Bob Martin, a security officer for Hockey Canada and London Knights, was involved in HC’s response to the alleged 2018 assault.
Scott Smith said Martin was not authorized to commit to the case.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
12:43 p.m. ET
Bloc MP Andréanne Larouche says Hockey Canada’s Scott Smith’s behavior seems to have changed since he first testified June 20 before the committee.
Larouche: “…It looks like you had to have a knife to your throat to change…. It looks like you used the money to protect your image.”—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
12:28 p.m. ET
Hockey Canada chief financial officer Brian Cairo explains why the organization decided to settle with the woman who alleged sexual assault in 2018: “We didn’t know all the details of the night, but we thought the harm had been caused.”
—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
12:23 p.m. ET
MP Kevin Waugh said past and current Hockey Canada leaders, including Bob Nicholson, Tom Renney and Scott Smith, had too much power and the board should have been notified immediately on June 19, 2018 of the incident.
Smith said the chairman of HC’s board was notified on June 19.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
12:07 p.m. ET
NDP MP Peter Julian asks about an abuse incident tracking system that Hockey Canada said was being developed in June 2020.
Smith said the racism/abuse/harassment data was collected during the 2021-22 hockey season and will be included in HC’s annual report to be released in November.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
12:13 p.m. ET
Hockey Canada’s Scott Smith said the HC board discussed the 2018 sexual assault allegations behind closed doors, meaning there are no records of the discussion. Liberal MP Anthony Housefather challenges Smith on this. Housefather: “I can only say that you need better legal advice and better lawyers…”
—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
11:59 a.m. ET
NDP MP Peter Julian asks when Hockey Canada officials knew about the allegations regarding the 2003 World Juniors team.
Smith says more than two weeks ago, a former HC staff member contacted an employee saying “he had heard something serious had happened” in 2003.
HC reported to Sport Canada.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
11:50 a.m. ET
Bloc Québécois MP Sébastien Lemire: “What message do you want to convey? [abuse] victims ?”
Scott Smith of Hockey Canada: “We want to hear from the victims…Ultimately, our 100% goal is to eliminate victims from the sport of hockey.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
11:47 a.m. ET
Conservative MP John Nater read aloud Sheldon Kennedy’s call for Scott Smith’s resignation from Hockey Canada.
Nater: “Frankly, Mr. Smith, we agree…I strongly believe that there needs to be new leadership within Hockey Canada. Will you quit?
Smith said he would not resign.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
11:45 a.m. ET
Smith said Hockey Canada executives discussed the alleged 2018 sexual assault in London with HC board members. There is no record of those meetings because they were held behind closed doors, Smith said.
“The board has approved up to the maximum number of bylaws,” he said.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
11:41 a.m. ET
Hockey Canada officials say 9 settlements worth a collective $7.6 million have been reached to settle sexual assault allegations using the organization’s “National Equity Fund” since 1989.
$6.8 million of that amount relates to incidents involving Graham James.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
Hockey Canada says 12 uninsured abuse claims have been settled for a collective value of $1.3 million.
One perpetrator was related to four of those claims and represents $1 million in settlements, HC said.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
11:36 a.m. ET
Smith addresses a sexual assault allegation involving members of Canada’s 2003 World Juniors team, saying that until the media asked him for comment last Thursday, Hockey Canada was unaware of the allegations.
Halifax police have launched an investigation into the alleged incident—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
11:35 a.m. ET
Nine settlements on sexual abuse claims have been paid out of the National Equity Fund, totaling $7.6 million, dating back to 1986.
$287,000 was paid from the same fund to Henein Hutchison
— Katie Strang (@KatieJStrang) July 27, 2022
11:29 a.m. ET
Officials from the OHL, WHL and QMJHL declined to make opening statements.
Hockey Canada Chief Operating Officer Scott Smith: “Hockey Canada understands that trust in us has been eroded…I know you have questions about the leadership of Hockey Canada, about my leadership…”
Smith says he won’t quit.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
11:26 a.m. ET
CHL President Dan MacKenzie in his opening statement: “Players, no matter how talented, need to know that they cannot go unpunished.
MacKenzie said the CHL was not involved in any settlement negotiations with the plaintiff and Hockey Canada.—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
11:24 a.m. ET
McCurdie said that at 8:14 p.m. on June 19, London police returned his call and informed him that “Constable Fortier” had been assigned to the case.
—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
11:23 a.m. ET
McCurdie: “I felt terribly for the complainant and her family.”
After two calls with colleagues mid-afternoon on June 19, McCurdie said he called London police at 6:44 p.m. He said he spoke to two officers and “both were quite abrupt with me.”—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
11:19 a.m. ET
Glen McCurdie, Vice President of Insurance and Risk Management for Hockey Canada, begins his testimony by saying that at 12:08 p.m. on June 19, 2018, he received a call from HC employees Denise Pattyn and Scott Salmond , who told McCurdie that a woman’s father contacted them alleging assault.
—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
11:13 a.m. ET
For those interested, link to a live stream of today’s hearings:https://t.co/xKV0j73oPe
—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022
10:46 a.m. ET
MP Peter Julian on the Hockey Canada testimony starting at 11 a.m.
“I hope they will be clear today.”
— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) July 27, 2022
10:38 a.m. ET
Former Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney, who retired a few weeks ago, will not testify in person today. He will speak with the committee via Zoom.
—Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 27, 2022