Day 2 of testimony in the Hockey Canada investigation brought pointed questions for the sport's executives from MPs as well as a call for the resignation of president and COO Scott Smith. Here are the key takeaways. (RealPDGrant)
OTTAWA — The second day of testimony in front of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage promised to be action-packed, with appearances by current and former executives of Hockey Canada, all three commissioners of Canada’s major junior leagues as well as the president of the Canadian Hockey League.
“I know you have questions about the leadership of Hockey Canada, about my leadership,” Smith said in his opening statement. “You want answers and you want to see real action taken to end the culture of silence that allows toxic behavior and sexism to fester in corners of our game. I do too. You have asked for transparency. You’ve asked for accountability. You’ve asked for Hockey Canada to change. I’m here to lead that change.
To which Smith responded: “I believe I said in my opening statement that I’m prepared to take on this responsibility for change with our game. I believe I’ve got the experience to do it. Should our board or the governance review that we’ve outlined in our action plan suggest that I’m not the person, then I’m prepared to accept that.”
“In my experience, as a general counsel of a multinational, you would normally have board minutes that would state someone being authorized on behalf of Hockey Canada to sign the settlement agreement and the board authorizing a settlement agreement,” Housefather said during the hearing.
But should new leadership be brought in, given the tenor of the statement issued by members of the women’s program earlier in the week, there is speculation a woman could take over Hockey Canada. One MP said that might not be enough, however. “Some very good people have made some very bad decisions, and unfortunately they’ve lost the trust of Canadians,” he said of the current executives.WORLD JUNIORS IN EDMONTON WILL INCLUDE CANADA
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