CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has announced that prominent Canadian sport executives Natasha Johnston and Marin Hickox have joined the organization to lead its strategies in safe sport and women and girls hockey, respectively.

“We are thrilled to welcome Natasha and Marin to Hockey Canada in these brand-new positions that focus on advancing two key strategic areas of our organization,” said Hockey Canada president and chief operating officer, Scott Smith. “They both have invaluable experience from across the sport industry and will both play critical roles to ensure hockey is a safe and inclusive sport for all participants.”

As director of sport safety, Johnston will oversee Hockey Canada’s safe sport portfolio, which includes developing sustainable solutions to address player safety and maltreatment. Johnston will also work with Hockey Canada’s 13 Members to deliver strategic initiatives that promote inclusion and provide participants from coast to coast to coast with positive hockey experiences for years to come.

Most recently the executive director of Ringette Canada, Johnston contributed to the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport as a national representative, and previously held progressive roles with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport and Football Canada.

Hickox will lead the organization’s recruitment and retention efforts that support the continued sustainability of women’s and girls’ hockey programs across Canada, and drive a collaborative approach to increase the number of women in key roles within the hockey ecosystem, including in leadership, coaching and officiating.  

In 2020, Hickox was a member of the women’s hockey task force for the inaugural Elite Women’s 3-on-3 game as part of National Hockey League (NHL) All-Star Weekend. The former Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and NHL marketing executive has also consulted for the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association.

Johnston and Hickox have started their new positions with Hockey Canada, working from Ottawa and Toronto, respectively.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, become a Hockey Canada Insider, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alta. – In furthering its commitment to being leaders in safety and inclusivity, Hockey Canada has introduced an update to its rulebook to focus on recognizing and reporting incidents of maltreatment.

In a special meeting of the Members held on June 22, 2021, Hockey Canada and its 13 Members unanimously approved the adoption of Section 11 – Maltreatment in the Hockey Canada Rulebook starting this season, which includes bringing all forms of maltreatment under one section of the rulebook and providing guidelines for escalating penalties based on the severity of the inappropriate behaviour from players and team officials.

“Hockey Canada has made a firm commitment to making the game safe and inclusive for all who wish to participate, and the introduction of Section 11 provides our 13 Members, local hockey associations and officials across the country with clearly-defined criteria for enforcing rules related to many different forms of inappropriate conduct,” said Tom Renney, chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. “We believe this is a great step towards ensuring we limit the number of incidents that occur on and off the ice, and will allow players of all ages to enjoy our game free from abuse, discrimination, racism and all forms of maltreatment.” 

As part of the new rules, certain infractions will include an indefinite suspension pending a hearing, as well mandatory hearings for repeat offenders. To read Section 11 of the Hockey Canada Rulebook in its entirety, please CLICK HERE.

In a further effort to eradicate discrimination of all forms from the game, Hockey Canada and its 13 Members also approved a new national reporting system for incidents of discriminatory taunts, insults or intimidation, both on the ice and outside of game play. The new rule and reporting system includes, but is not limited to, discrimination based on race, ethnic origin, skin colour, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.

The national reporting system will allow Hockey Canada and its 13 Members to have a better understanding of where maltreatment incidents occur and their frequency, and will allow the organization to take progressive steps to eliminating incidents through action and education. A number of tools and resources will also be provided to Hockey Canada’s 13 Members and local hockey associations across the country to help educate participants on maltreatment, including a Rule 11 officiating module and coaching resource document.

“The addition of Section 11 to the Hockey Canada Rulebook is a major step towards making the game more inclusive for all, but the reporting system will allow Hockey Canada and its 13 Members to proactively implement change through education and create a better understanding of where issues are occurring,” said Scott Smith, president and chief operating officer of Hockey Canada. “As we continue to learn and help foster an environment that is diverse, inclusive and safe, we believe the updated playing rule will greatly benefit all participants and allow more young children and adults to enjoy the game.”

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada and its Members have published a Tracking Maltreatment in Sanctioned Hockey report, which includes nation-wide data collected during the 2022-23 season from two independent complaint management mechanisms and all rules in Section 11 of the Hockey Canada Playing Rules.

The information contained in this report is an important step in Hockey Canada’s ongoing efforts to better track, identify and respond to maltreatment in hockey.

In December 2022, Hockey Canada and its Members published a report of all incidents of verbal taunts, insults or intimidation based on discriminatory grounds which occurred during the 2021-22 season, under Rule 11.4 – Discrimination.

The Tracking Maltreatment in Sanctioned Hockey report includes a broader scope of tracked maltreatment behaviours, including:

• Complaint intake data from Hockey Canada’s Independent Third Party (ITP);
• Ice hockey complaint intake data from the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC);
• Tracking of Rule 11.4 penalties and allegations from all 13 Members;
• Data from a pilot project that tracked other types of Rule 11 penalties in specific Hockey Canada Member jurisdictions.

“The Tracking Maltreatment in Sanctioned Hockey report is critical in our efforts to identify and take action against egregious behaviours that have no place in hockey and sport in general,” said Natasha Johnston, vice-president of sport safety for Hockey Canada. “We will continue to be transparent in publicly sharing the data we collect with our Members and use the insights to better inform our collective actions moving forward.

“With our Members, we are committed to expanding reporting on maltreatment in sanctioned hockey during the 2023-24 season as well as working to prevent and address maltreatment behaviours in sanctioned hockey programming. As we continue to build greater awareness and facilitate greater opportunities and trust for individuals to come forward, it is anticipated that there will be an increase in maltreatment incidences being reported on and off the ice.”

Hockey Canada will continue to make national reports on maltreatment publicly available and accessible on an annual basis as part of its overall sport safety framework.

CALGARY, AB – Following an extensive recruitment process led by a search committee comprised of key stakeholders and supported by an external executive search firm, Hockey Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Katherine Henderson as its next president and chief executive officer.

The Hockey Canada Board of Directors, under the leadership of the Hon. Hugh L. Fraser, was tasked with creating a vision for the next phase of transformation and growth of Canada’s official winter sport. One of its key mandates was to identify and recruit a president and chief executive officer who aligns with the vision of the board.

Henderson has spent the past seven years as the chief executive officer of Curling Canada, where she successfully led initiatives to introduce new Canadians to the sport, spearheaded pay equity for Canada’s men’s and women’s curling teams, and drove a financial turnaround of the organization’s business model. She is also currently the elected co-chair of the Winter Caucus of Sport (Canadian Winter Olympic and Paralympic Sports).

“Katherine has the track record and experience to lead the ongoing transformation of Hockey Canada,” said the Hon. Hugh L. Fraser, chair of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors. “With her at the helm we are confident that we will continue to take the steps necessary to ensure hockey is a safe and inclusive sport and that Hockey Canada benefits from best-in-class governance.”

“The future of hockey is limitless,” said Henderson. “As a winter sport nation, with a long tradition in our ice and snow sports, playing and watching hockey is undeniably a part of who we are as Canadians. I am looking forward to working with our board and staff, our athletes, our Members and local associations, our corporate and hockey partners, and our fans and participants to ensure that all Canadians have a personal hockey experience that is right for them.”

Before joining Curling Canada, Henderson was the senior vice-president of marketing and revenue for the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games organizing committee where she helped the Games set attendance, ticket sales and television ratings records. Earlier in her career, Henderson held progressive roles in marketing and branding with Whirlpool Corporation, Colgate Palmolive Canada, Campbell Soup Canada and General Mills Canada.

A leader in the greater sport community, holding a number of positions that advance sport in general, Henderson attained a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition from Western University, an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University and a master’s degree in theological studies from the University of Toronto.

In 2022, she received an International Olympic Committee Diploma for her achievements to attain gender equity in sport. She also delivered to the curling community, Changing the Face of Curling, an International Symposium in partnership with two universities and Curling Canada’s leadership to advance diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

“Our search committee was comprised of stakeholder representatives including athletes, Members, partners and the Hockey Canada Foundation, and we are appreciative of the time that everyone devoted to the recruitment process,” said Jonathan Goldbloom, who chaired the search committee. “We thank them for undertaking such an important task that will shape the future of Hockey Canada and hockey in Canada.”

Henderson will begin her role with Hockey Canada on Sept. 4 and will be participating at the Beyond the Boards Summit later that week. She will be based in Toronto, Ont.

Information about media availability will be shared at a later date.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alta. – The medal round at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship begins today in Halifax, N.S., and Moncton, N.B., but the tournament’s legacy is already positioned to support programs in communities throughout Canada for years to come through the proceeds of World Juniors 50/50 draws.

More than $1 million in World Juniors 50/50 tickets have been sold to hockey fans in six participating provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Saskatchewan), with net proceeds going to support organizations that work towards greater safety and inclusiveness in and around hockey.

With each World Juniors 50/50 ticket purchase, fans are contributing to meaningful programs in their communities, as the net proceeds go to initiatives in that province, while the remaining half of the jackpots go to winning fans in the six provinces.

World Juniors 50/50 tickets are available at WorldJuniors5050.ca.

Proceeds from World Juniors 50/50 draws go towards the following initiatives in each participating province:

Alberta – Proceeds will be invested directly into grassroots initiatives in the province and increase the capacity of Hockey Alberta members to deliver a positive experience for all participants at the local level.

British Columbia – Proceeds will be invested directly into female hockey initiatives, including initiation programs.

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia – Proceeds from World Juniors 50/50 draws will benefit three areas: sexual violence education, female hockey associations, and additional diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives determined by Hockey New Brunswick and Hockey Nova Scotia.

Ontario – Proceeds will benefit a number of key initiatives, including support to families demonstrating financial need for hockey registration, funding for equipment for players and families, and education programs on gender identity and expression.

Saskatchewan – Proceeds will support programs with minor hockey associations in the province.

Don’t miss your chance to win more and give more with this year’s World Juniors 50/50 draws! For a complete draw schedule, please check your province’s 50/50 page.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada’s Members have elected the new Hockey Canada Board of Directors, consisting of diverse and experienced candidates put forward by an independent Nominating Committee.

The newly elected Board is comprised of eight directors and a chair who have a breadth of experience in governance, law, sports and business. The Board will lead Hockey Canada through urgent changes, including the recruitment of a new chief executive officer and the implementation of the organization’s Action Plan to address toxic behaviours in and around hockey.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us and we are determined to enact the changes Canadians expect of Hockey Canada,” said the Honourable Hugh L. Fraser, chair of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors. “Hockey means so much to our country and we will be committed to making sure that Hockey Canada is an organization that is transparent and accountable to all Canadians, and is worthy of their trust.”

The new Board of Directors consists of the following individuals:

The Hon. Hugh L. Fraser (Chair)

Grant Borbridge

Cassie Campbell-Pascall

Julie Duranceau

David Evans

Marni Fullerton

Jonathan F. Goldbloom

Marian Jacko

Andrea Poole

Biographies for each director can be accessed here.

In line with the recommendations put forward by former Supreme Court Justice Thomas Cromwell, the Board of Directors will serve a special one-year term focused on making the changes necessary to improve the governance at Hockey Canada as well as sport safety on and off the ice.

CALGARY, Alta. – Today, the independent Hockey Canada Board of Directors Nominating Committee released its nominees for the new Hockey Canada Board of Directors, subject to a virtual election by Hockey Canada’s Members on Dec. 17, 2022.

The nine nominees from diverse backgrounds bring extensive experience in governance, law, sports, and business. They were selected by the independent Nominating Committee with the assistance of Korn Ferry, a leading executive search firm. Once elected, the Board is expected to lead Hockey Canada through the urgent changes necessary to ensuring greater safety and inclusiveness in and around hockey and restore trust in the organization.

“We are grateful to the more than 550 candidates who applied to help guide the change at Hockey Canada,” said Michael Bruni, Chair of the Nominating Committee. “The nominees we’ve put forward represent the very best of Canadian society: bringing together the knowledge and experience necessary to create a new era in hockey that focuses on governance and cultural evolution.”

The following individuals have been nominated to serve a one-year term:

The Hon. Hugh L. Fraser (Chair)

Grant Borbridge

Cassie Campbell-Pascall

Julie Duranceau

Dave Evans

Marni Fullerton

Jonathan F. Goldbloom

Marian Jacko

Andrea Poole

Biographies for the prospective Board Directors can be accessed here.

The nominated Board has five women and four men. The Board will serve a special term of one-year, in line with a recent recommendation by former Supreme Court Justice, Thomas Cromwell.

“Korn Ferry is grateful to have supported Hockey Canada in identifying the Board nominees and most notably, the Nominating Committee’s rigorous, thoughtful process in arriving at this slate,” said Gordon Orlikow, Senior Client Partner for Korn Ferry. “The result is a top-shelf Board with members who have all the necessary skills to lead Hockey Canada to a better place.”

If elected by Hockey Canada’s Members, the Board will be accountable, transparent, and ensure Hockey Canada is an organization that Canadians can be proud of. It is expected one of the Board’s first priorities will be to begin the search for a new chief executive officer to lead the organization, and to focus on building trust, and governance and cultural evolution.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has published the nation-wide data for all incidents of verbal taunts, insults or intimidation based on discriminatory grounds which occurred during the 2021-22 season, under Hockey Canada Rule 11.4 – discrimination.

The data in the report is a critically important first step in Hockey Canada’s ongoing efforts to better track, identify and respond to maltreatment in hockey, and presents the source, category and penalties for each instance of verbal discrimination under the rule.

The report can be found in its entirety here.

Hockey Canada and its Members intend to progressively expand tracking and reporting efforts, with a view to tracking and reporting all instances of maltreatment, abuse and harassment beginning with the 2023-24 season. In order to do so, Hockey Canada is working with Members to build upon resourcing and enhance our ability to use common approaches in hockey across the country when addressing incidences of maltreatment.

Hockey Canada will continue to make national reports on maltreatment publicly available and accessible on an annual basis as part of its overall sport safety framework.

As part of its ongoing commitment to creating safe, welcoming and positive environments at all times, both on and off the ice, Hockey Canada recently announced important changes to how complaints of abuse, discrimination and harassment are confidentially reported.

As a full signatory to Abuse-Free Sport, the new independent program to prevent and address maltreatment in sport in Canada, all complaints at the national level now go directly to the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner. Alleged incidents involving other levels of Hockey Canada-sanctioned programming are overseen by an independent third party.

Hockey Canada will continue to provide public updates as it works to address systemic issues and end toxic behaviour in and around the sport.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada is releasing the final report from the independent third-party governance review, led by former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, Honourable Thomas Cromwell, C.C. The review, and its accompanying recommendations, are intended to provide Hockey Canada with the capacity to play its important role in making the changes in its governance model that are necessary to create the foundation upon which to rebuild the confidence of stakeholders and the public.

The report provides a comprehensive review of Hockey Canada’s governance structure, systems, personnel and processes, and offers important recommendations to help improve the organization and meet industry best practices.

Hockey Canada has already taken action to implement recommendations that were outlined in the interim report  released last month. This includes moving forward with important By-Law reforms and taking steps to ensure new leadership is in place to guide the organization following the upcoming Board elections. 
The final report expands on this work by providing key recommendations on important areas including:

Board Composition & Board Process

• The recruitment of Directors for the Board of Hockey Canada needs to be fundamentally rethought.  A new approach to filling these positions is needed.  All stakeholders will need to work together to bring these changes about.
• Achieve more balanced gender representation on the Board of Directors so that no more than 60% of the Directors will be of the same gender.
• Ensure the Board of Directors will include at least one athlete representative (defined as a person who is currently on a national team or competing at the international level, or who was on a national team or competed at an international level within the last 8 years).
• Ensure a majority of the Directors are Independent at the time of their election.
• The Board of Directors should be the group that appoints the Board Chair, using a well-defined process and pre-defined and approved eligibility qualifications (qualities and competencies).
• Board should continue to serve without renumeration.
• Minutes should be taken at all Board, Member and committee meetings by a designated resource.
• A schedule detailing the dates that regular Board meetings and Member meetings will be held should be posted on Hockey Canada’s website.
• Board must step back and re-examine what governance model best achieves Hockey Canada’s strategic vision.  It must then implement that model and periodically review it to ensure it continues to serve the best interests of the organization.

Nominating Committee (NC)

• The NC should review and update the skills matrix prior to each election cycle to ensure it reflects the skills, experience and diversity required for the Board to be successful. It should engage and consult with a reputable board recruitment firm to assist with the review of the matrix and recruit qualified candidates.
• Although the majority of the NC should be Independent, there should be at least one athlete representative (defined as a person who is currently on a national team or competing at the international level, or who was on a national team or competed at an international level within the last 8 years) on the NC, along with Member representation and Board representation.

Senior Management

• The Director of Women and Girls Hockey should be a VP-level position reporting to the CEO.
• There should be a VP of Hockey Development dedicated to the development of hockey at the grassroots level, who should work closely with the Member Engagement Department.
• As staff is hired, sufficient onboarding should be provided to them, given the complexities of the organization.

Hockey Canada’s Internal Committees

• Hockey Canada should conduct an in-depth review of its committee structure with a view to:
• Streamlining and maintaining core committees focused on meeting the needs of the new Board;
• Restructuring or disbanding Committees or Task Teams that have lost their relevance or that are operationally focused and perform staff functions;
• Developing a suite of new, refreshed and robust terms of reference that clearly define each committee’s mandate and role, its key duties and functions, what it is responsible for achieving and to whom it is accountable.

The recommendations outlined in the report provide important guidance on the next steps Hockey Canada should take to improve the organization. The report, and its recommendations are currently being reviewed by Hockey Canada Members and will be brought to the new Board of Directors, following their election on Dec. 17, 2022.

Hockey Canada will continue to provide public updates on the organization’s work to address systemic issues in and around Canada’s game.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Terms of Reference for the independent governance review:

Through the independent governance review, the Hockey Canada Board of Directors retained the Honourable Thomas Cromwell to answer the following questions:

1. Was Hockey Canada’s use of the National Equity Fund to fund uninsured liabilities which were met by the Fund appropriate?
            a.         Is there appropriate oversight concerning payments out of the National Equity Fund?
            b.         Is the use of the National Equity Fund sufficiently transparent within the organization and in reports to stakeholders?

 2. Are the organization’s By-Laws concerning the constitution and operation of the Board of Directors in line with current best practices, appropriate or require amendments? In addition:
            a.         Recognizing the Board’s current composition, are there recommended changes to the organization’s governance structure that would support and further enhance the diversity of the Board?
            b.         Are current terms and term limits aligned with best practices?
            c.          Does the nominating process need to be amended?
            d.         Is the structure of the various standing committees and task teams, including their Terms of Reference/mandates and reporting mechanism to the Board, appropriate?

 3. Does the Board exercise an appropriate degree of oversight of senior management as compared to similar organizations, including:;
            a.         Is the Board’s current structure, as a volunteer Board with accountability for oversight of the organization, appropriate and in the best interests of hockey in Canada?
            b.         Is there a clearly defined process describing what items staff must report to the Board (policy vs. operations)?
            c.          Is the reporting structure to the Board (staff and committees) comprehensive enough to ensure the work of Hockey Canada is efficient, effective, and of the highest quality?
            d.         What role should the Board play in operations versus policy and strategy?

4. Is the Senior Management Team properly structured and constituted to oversee the operations of Hockey Canada, from the grassroots level to the high-performance level?

5. In the area of governance, are there any other recommendations for actions that the Board of Directors and senior management could take to improve the confidence Canadians have in Hockey Canada?

About The Honourable Thomas Cromwell, C.C.

Thomas sat on the Supreme Court of Canada from December 2008 to September 2016 and on the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal from 1997 to 2008. From 2008 until 2018, he chaired the Chief Justice of Canada’s Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters.
His contribution to the legal community and society as whole has been widely recognized and he has received numerous awards, including his appointment as a Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest honour of the Order of Canada in December 2017, recognizing him as one of Canada’s most important voices on enhancing access to justice.

About Victoria Prince

Victoria is a Partner and National Leader for the Charities and Not-For-Profit Law Group at BLG. She counsels charities and non-profits on a wide range of issues, including corporate governance advice and training. She is a frequent speaker to the sector. Victoria has been a member of the OBA and CBA Charities and Not-For Profit law sections for many years.

About Nadia Effendi

Nadia is a Partner and Chair of the Public Law and Appellate Advocacy Group at BLG. She specializes in administrative, regulatory, constitutional, and human rights law, and has appeared before all levels of federal and provincial courts, including numerous times before the Supreme Court of Canada. She more recently served as Lead Counsel to the Honourable Louise Arbour, who was appointed to carry out an independent external review into the Canadian Armed Forces and Department ofNational Defence in response to reports of harassment and sexual misconduct within Canada’s military.

Nadia is a member of the CBA Federal Courts Bench and Bar Liaison Committee, and a past president and current board member of the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO).

CALGARY, Alta. – Yesterday evening, Michael Brind’Amour informed the Hockey Canada Board of Directors he will be stepping down from the Board and as Chair, effective immediately.

The Board of Directors is grateful for Mr. Brind’Amour’s leadership as Chair, and for his many contributions to the game and to Hockey Canada. Under his leadership, we have brought forward new ideas and perspectives, with a particular focus on inclusion, including the advancement of the presence of women in the sport, and safe sport.

Mr. Brind’Amour offered the following statement:

“I have listened carefully and intently to the comments of Canadians about the culture of our sport and our organization, and about our actions and leadership. I understand that the actions we have taken in recent weeks are part of the solution.

My final term ends in November 2022, and I know that there is no need to wait for a new era. Immediate action is essential to address the important challenges facing our organization and our sport, which our Action Plan works to accomplish. I would not be able to see this renewal through and have therefore announced my resignation to the Board of Directors.

I am reassured that The Honourable Thomas Cromwell, C.C., has agreed to lead a governance review of our organization that will help us make the changes that are needed. I am confident the recommendations will guide the organization into a future of desired change.

I wish the best of success to those who will succeed me.”

As an organization, we know we have work to do to elevate the expectations we have for everyone in hockey and to effect positive behaviour from the grassroots to the national team level.

The Hockey Canada Board of Directors and Members will meet in the coming days to determine next steps and to appoint an interim Chair.

The next Board election is scheduled to occur at the annual meeting in November 2022.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada is announcing the Honourable Thomas Cromwell, C.C. will lead an independent review of the organization’s governance structures and systems.This work, undertaken on behalf of the organization’s board of directors, is an integral part of Hockey Canada’s Action Plan.

Since 1914, Hockey Canada has been the organization that Canadians have trusted to lead, develop and promote positive hockey experiences.

Recent events have called that trust into question. This is of very real concern to our Board of Directors who, as volunteers, have worked diligently to deliver on its mission in a responsible way, including through the recent launch of an Action Plan to, among other things, elevate the expectations we have for everyone in hockey and effect positive behaviour from the grassroots to the national team level.

With that in mind, the governance review will examine the organization and make recommendations to ensure its governance structure, systems, personnel and processes are geared to the requirements and best practices of a national sport organization of similar size, scope and influence in Canada. This will include an examination of the National Equity Fund. Once complete, the review will provide recommendations to change and/or improve the organization’s governance. The full terms of reference are provided below.

The Honourable Thomas Cromwell, C.C., is a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and previously chaired the Chief Justice of Canada’s Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters. He will be supported in his review by Ms. Victoria Prince and Ms. Nadia Effendi of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG). 

“This comprehensive governance review is a critical step to restoring trust with Canadians and ensuring we have the right people and systems in place to deliver on our Action Plan to improve Canada’s game,” said Michael Brind’Amour, Chair of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors. “We have heard Canadians loud and clear and are committed to making the changes necessary to allow us to be the organization Canadians expect.”

The governance review will begin immediately and is anticipated to provide interim recommendations in advance of Hockey Canada’s annual general meeting in November 2022.

Terms of Reference for the independent governance review:

Through the independent governance review, the Hockey Canada Board of Directors has retained the Honourable Thomas Cromwell to answer the following questions:

About The Honourable Thomas Cromwell, C.C.

Thomas sat on the Supreme Court of Canada from December 2008 to September 2016 and on the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal from 1997 to 2008. From 2008 until 2018, he chaired the Chief Justice of Canada’s Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters.

His contribution to the legal community and society as whole has been widely recognized and he has received numerous awards, including his appointment as a Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest honour of the Order of Canada in December 2017, recognizing him as one of Canada’s most important voices on enhancing access to justice.

About Victoria Prince

Victoria is a Partner and National Leader for the Charities and Not-For-Profit Law Group at BLG. She counsels charities and non-profits on a wide range of issues, including corporate governance advice and training. She is a frequent speaker to the sector. Victoria has been a member of the OBA and CBA Charities and Not-For-Profit law sections for many years.

About Nadia Effendi

Nadia is a Partner and Chair of the Public Law and Appellate Advocacy Group at BLG. She specializes in administrative, regulatory, constitutional, and human rights law, and has appeared before all levels of federal and provincial courts, including numerous times before the Supreme Court of Canada. She more recently served as Lead Counsel to the Honourable Louise Arbour, who was appointed to carry out an independent external review into the Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence in response to reports of harassment and sexual misconduct within Canada’s military.

Nadia is a member of the CBA Federal Courts Bench and Bar Liaison Committee, and a past president and current board member of the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO).

CALGARY, Alta. – Today, Hockey Canada released a comprehensive Action Plan to address systemic issues in hockey and ensure greater safety and inclusiveness in and around Canada’s game. The Action Plan is an important step in upholding Hockey Canada’s responsibility to address toxic behaviours – both on and off the ice – that conflict with what Canadians expect hockey to be and to confront the culture of silence that exists in corners of the game.

The Action Plan includes commitments in key areas of accountability, governance, independent sport safety checks, and standards, education and training. These actions include:

• Adopting the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport 6.0.
• Implementing a comprehensive tracking and reporting system for all complaints of maltreatment, abuse or harassment. The results will be published publicly annually to hold Hockey Canada accountable.
• Increasing and enhancing training for players, coaches, employees and volunteers to include additional focus on masculinity, consent and toxic behaviours, and to drive a culture in hockey that encourages all participants to speak up.
• A comprehensive review of all existing training programs by an independent specialist. 
• Implementing enhanced character screening for all high-performance players.
• Mandating that breaching the Code of Conduct or failing to participate in any investigation could result in a lifetime ban from Hockey Canada programs.
• Prioritizing and investing in a robust department focused on safe and inclusive sport initiatives, including combatting harassment, abuse, injury prevention, mental health and gender equity.

These commitments are in addition to those announced on July 14, 2022:

• Conducting an independent, third-party review of Hockey Canada’s governance structures and systems. This review will include a review of the National Equity Fund.
• Becoming one of the first national sport organizations to become a full signatory to the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) which came into effect in June 2022, and ceding oversight for all complaints, allegations or concerns with national programming to the OSIC.
• Establishing a new, independent and confidential mechanism for the intake of maltreatment complaints for all other levels of hockey (regional, provincial and local) not covered by the OSIC.

“We recognize that there is an urgent need to address the types of behaviours that are rightly causing Canadians to question aspects of our game,” said Scott Smith, president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. “Culture change will not occur overnight, but with this Action Plan we are fully committed to making the meaningful changes necessary to ensure the safety, welfare and well-being of everyone who participates in and enjoys the sport of hockey.”

Hockey Canada has pledged transparency and accountability in meeting our commitments. To do so, the Board of Directors will appoint a Special Committee of independent experts to monitor and provide guidance on the implementation of the Action Plan. Executive performance evaluations will be tied to progress on the plan, and an annual report on social responsibility and impact will help keep Canadians informed on Hockey Canada’s progress.

The Action Plan to Shatter the Code of Silence and Eliminate Toxic Behaviour In and Around Canada’s Game is available here.

Hockey Canada continues to encourage anyone – past or present – who feels they are the victim of mistreatment, sexual violence, harassment or abuse by someone affiliated with our organization to report it immediately. You can reach out via the Canadian Sport Helpline, a free, anonymous, confidential and independent service in both official languages: 1-888-837 7678 or [email protected].  We also encourage anyone who may need support to reach out to one of the many victim resource services across Canada. A general listing of resources in this area is available on the website of the Canadian Resource Centre for the Victims of Crime at crcvc.ca.