Hockey Canada and Sheldon Kennedy’s Respect Group have extended their partnership to “make hockey safer at all levels” and “to effect meaningful change in hockey.”
In a release, Hugh Fraser, the chair of Hockey Canada’s board of directors, said the partnership is intended to continue the “pursuit of our common desire to effect meaningful change in hockey by advancing a safe, respectful and inclusive experience for all participants.”
“The investment in preventative education announced today represents another component of Hockey Canada’s duty to change the culture in sport, including through enhanced sport safety initiatives,” Fraser, who was elected as the new chair of the board in December, added. “Our efforts in this area will continue and further announcements will be forthcoming in the not-too-distant future.”
Kennedy, co-founder of Respect Group, child advocate and former NHL player, in the same statement added, “Age-appropriate, player-centric education is the next logical step in the enhancement of our Respect in Sport curriculum, and we are very excited to be partnering with Hockey Canada as a contributor in the development of these tools. This demonstrates how committed both of our organizations are to creating change in hockey.”
According to the release, Hockey Canada has signed on with Safe Sport, the government-affiliated program designed to be a forum for abused athletes.
Hockey Canada’s operations came under scrutiny after a report revealed in May 2022 that a settlement was paid out to a woman in London, Ont., who alleged that she was sexually assaulted by eight hockey players, including members of the 2018 Canadian world junior team, following a Hockey Canada Foundation event.
The victim’s allegations and the settlement sparked national outrage and months of controversy as more details of the incident came out. During the ensuing government and media investigations it was found that Hockey Canada’s National Equity Fund, which was partially funded by children’s registration fees, had been the source of the legal settlement.
Hockey Canada also announced in July that members of its 2003 world junior hockey championship team were being investigated for a group sexual assault. Hockey Canada said it contacted Halifax Regional Police about the allegations because Halifax was the co-host city of the 2003 world junior hockey championship.
Police investigations into the 2003 and 2018 allegations are still ongoing. Neither case has been heard in court.
After months of public outcry, Hockey Canada’s board of directors resigned on Oct. 11 and president and CEO Scott Smith was ousted from his role. A new board of directors was elected on Dec. 17.
–with files from The Canadian Press
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