Hockey Canada executives were under fire Monday as parliamentarians grilled the organization over its handling of an alleged sexual assault four years ago that resulted in a settled lawsuit last month.
Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney and president Scott Smith were among the witnesses called to testify before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in Ottawa.
Hockey Canada settled the lawsuit in May after a woman claimed she was sexually assaulted by eight members of the country鈥檚 2018 world junior hockey team at a gala event in June of that year.
The plaintiff, identified as 鈥淓.M.鈥� in court records, claimed she was repeatedly assaulted while intoxicated in a London, Ont., hotel room after a Hockey Canada event. The woman, now 24, was seeking $3.55 million in damages from Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and the unnamed players.
Smith, who鈥檚 set to take over for the outgoing Renney as CEO on July 1, told the committee that members of the country鈥檚 gold-medal winning world junior team were 鈥渟trongly encouraged鈥� to speak with third-party investigators hired by Hockey Canada.
It was not, however, made mandatory.
鈥淢r. Smith, if you want real accountability from Hockey Canada, you should have demanded all players participate in the interviews (with the outside law firm),鈥� Conservative MP Kevin Waugh said. 鈥淵ou own that 鈥� that is unacceptable.鈥�
Smith, who is also the national sport body鈥檚 COO, responded by saying that Hockey Canada 鈥渂orrows鈥� players from other leagues for international competitions.
鈥淲e鈥檝e made some changes to our code of conduct,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e having discussions right now as to whether or not we can strengthen the ability to compel players that we borrow to participate in investigations regarding what happens under our care.鈥�
Bloc Quebecois MP Sebastien Lemire suggested in French that Hockey Canada play without its logo for a year 鈥渟o that people will think about this issue 鈥� culture in Hockey Canada and the responsibility that you have. I believe that (Hockey Canada is) John Doe No. 9 in this case.鈥�
Renney said Hockey Canada first learned of the alleged incident the following morning 鈥� June 19, 2018 鈥� when the woman鈥檚 stepfather contacted its human resources department, and that police in London were informed that evening.
Smith said even though it took four years for the story to come out, and only after TSN was first to report the details last month, there wasn鈥檛 a coverup.
鈥淭he police were notified, we engaged a third-party investigator, we notified Sport Canada, and we offered support to the young woman,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not an indication of sweeping something under the rug.鈥�
Details of the settlement with the woman have not been released, but Smith said the players alleged to be involved did not contribute financially and no government money was used.
None of the allegations against the players have been proven in court.
Smith was asked if the settlement is covered by a non-disclosure agreement.
鈥淭he minutes of settlement are covered under settlement privilege,鈥� he replied.
Hockey Canada added it has yet to identify the players alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman because its investigation is incomplete.
Smith said 12 to 13 players took part in the investigation initiated by the sport鈥檚 governing body. Renney said earlier Monday that it was his belief the number was between four and six.
Smith was asked if any coaches or trainers were involved in the alleged incident.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe so,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I can鈥檛 confirm.鈥�
Hockey Canada has said the woman chose not to speak with police or its independent investigator. Smith and Renney reiterated Monday the woman also elected not to identify the players.
Smith said London police informed Hockey Canada its criminal investigation was closed as of February 2019. Hockey Canada, meanwhile, kept its own investigation open through September 2020.
鈥淎 lot of people are taking the allegations in the statement of claim as fact,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淭he challenge that we had is through extensive efforts over a 26-month period, we were not able to confirm what happened that evening.鈥�
The NHL, meanwhile, is in the process of conducting its own investigation because a number of players from that world junior team are now in the league, while Canada鈥檚 sports minister ordered a forensic audit of Hockey Canada.
Pascale St-Onge told the committee Monday after the Hockey Canada executives testified that she first learned of the alleged assault and settlement when Renney called her two days before TSN鈥檚 report.
鈥淚 was absolutely outraged with what I read,鈥� St-Onge told the committee in French. 鈥淎nd as all Canadians, I asked myself questions on the accountability of the players and the reasons why Hockey Canada would reach an out-of-court settlement?鈥�
Government money accounts for six per cent of Hockey Canada鈥檚 funding, according to the organization鈥檚 2020-21 annual report, although the amount in actual dollars wasn鈥檛 specified.
Hockey Canada received a total of $7.8 million in Own The Podium high-performance funding for its men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 national teams in the four years between the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics.
鈥淣o one has been held accountable,鈥� Conservative MP John Nater said of the alleged assault. 鈥淣o one lost the privilege of wearing the Maple Leaf on their jersey 鈥� I鈥檝e heard zero tolerance mentioned today. I wish that was true.
鈥淏ut if there鈥檚 truly a zero-tolerance situation 鈥� every single player who was in London that weekend should have been mandated to participate in that review or lose the opportunity and the privilege of being associated with Hockey Canada.鈥�
鈥擩oshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
