Hockey Canada, CHL settle lawsuit over alleged sexual assault involving WJ players

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

He hasn't been accused of anything so I fail to see why he would need to make any public declarations.

If I were in the situation of being an innocent person who is part of a group where it's known some members engaged in reprehensible behavior but it's not publicly known who, I would want to make it clear that it wasn't me and to condemn it.

Not suggesting his silence is a sign of guilt or anything. Personally, I would just want to declaratively distance myself from that.

[Eric Vail]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

If I were in the situation of being an innocent person who is part of a group where it's known some members engaged in reprehensible behavior but it's not publicly known who, I would want to make it clear that it wasn't me and to condemn it.

Not suggesting his silence is a sign of guilt or anything. Personally, I would just want to declaratively distance myself from that.

The players could also be feeling pressure to keep their mouths shut to protect their buddies and hinder the investigation.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

The players could also be feeling pressure to keep their mouths shut to protect their buddies and hinder the investigation.

Yeah, protecting their buddies and hindering the investigation in this case aren't really redeeming qualities either though.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Yeah, protecting their buddies and hindering the investigation in this case aren't really redeeming qualities either though.

Not coming out in public isn't hindering a case. I would imagine all the players have been advised not to speak publicly about this.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Not coming out in public isn't hindering a case. I would imagine all the players have been advised not to speak publicly about this.

I didn't say it is.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

I didn't say it is.

Okay.

[OptimalTates]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I assume the Flames have used due diligence investigating this matter seeing they are employing Dube. Unless you are of the belief that this would not matter to the Flames you would have to assume that he was not directly involved as it would certainly be a bad look on the organization if they knew and did not act in any way.

I don't know about that. I don't particularly like using names and therefore teams in these hypotheticals, but extremely hypothetically, if they asked Dube if he was one of the unnamed John Does and he said "Yep, and everything I did that night was with consent and was honest with the police and they did not lay any criminal charges. Hockey Canada's decision to settle with her had nothing to do with me or the events that transpired that night but was a business decision made by them" or simple says "On the advice of my lawyer I am not answering questions." Like what can the team do?

[GullFoss]

This isn't going away...I wonder if there is going to be political pressure to reopen the case

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

This isn't going away...I wonder if there is going to be political pressure to reopen the case

Hopefully there is. And hopefully they protect the victim while doing it.

[Eric Vail]

Why does Hockey Canada have any role here whatsoever?

This should be a police matter and between the women and her men who are accused and their lawyers. Hockey Canada shouldn't be brokering settlements.

They say they get one or two cases a year for the last 5 or 6 years.

Hockey Canada apparently should be counselling Canadian hockey players about what sexual assault entails and the harm it causes - not covering up and protecting players when it happens.

[Eric Vail]

The Canadian government is freezing Hockey Canada’s millions of dollars in federal funding until the organization signs up with a new federal agency that has the power to independently receive and investigate abuse complaints and issue sanctions for inappropriate behaviour, Minister of Sport Pascale St-Onge said in an interview on Wednesday.

St-Onge announced the funding freeze two days after Hockey Canada president Scott Smith and outgoing chief executive Tom Renney testified before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage about allegations made by a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by eight Canadian Hockey League players in 2018, at least some of whom played for Canada’s 2018 World Juniors team.

snip

Smith testified that after a $3.55 million lawsuit was launched in April against Hockey Canada, the national governing body liquidated some of its investments and settled the litigation within weeks.

Hockey Canada received $14 million from the federal government in 2020 and 2021, government records show, including $3.4 million in emergency COVID-19 subsidies.

snip

“That was the most disturbing revelation that we heard – that Hockey Canada has cases like this at a rate of one or two per year,” St-Onge said. “To me, this cannot be a standard business as usual for Hockey Canada, one of the most powerful sports organizations in Canada. That culture cannot be protected.”

https://www.tsn.ca/federal-governmen...ding-1.1816169

Heads should roll. There are Hockey Canada employees who feel their job is to cover up sexual abuse and protect players who commit these crimes. Disgusting.

[Monahammer]

You can tell they really didn't think this would be a "big deal". They had a prepared statement but weren't ready AT ALL to deal with the questions they were posed, which were frankly pretty soft compared to how it could have gone. And they still failed remarkably- idly dismissing 1 or 2 settlements a year for this type of conduct, questioning the veracity of the accusations, generally avoiding responsibility and claiming inability to enforce anything...

It was a master class of what not to do in a public hearing. They ####ed it up REAL bad. That to me is indicative of just how bad this problem is. They honestly thought that they could get through this hearing on a canned statement and a few hand waves, the leadership of Hockey Canada clearly doesnt think that gang rape is a serious problem.

[GioforPM]

Renney and Smith couldn’t even get their stories straight about how many players participated in this investigation. Or why participation was voluntary only.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

You can tell they really didn't think this would be a "big deal". They had a prepared statement but weren't ready AT ALL to deal with the questions they were posed, which were frankly pretty soft compared to how it could have gone. And they still failed remarkably- idly dismissing 1 or 2 settlements a year for this type of conduct, questioning the veracity of the accusations, generally avoiding responsibility and claiming inability to enforce anything...

It was a master class of what not to do in a public hearing. They ####ed it up REAL bad. That to me is indicative of just how bad this problem is. They honestly thought that they could get through this hearing on a canned statement and a few hand waves, the leadership of Hockey Canada clearly doesnt think that gang rape is a serious problem.

The arrogance is disgusting. Power corrupts, and Hockey Canada is a powerful organization.

I hope the players involved get their comeuppance, the HC executives get turfed and tried for the coverup and failure to prevent the abuse, and the victim gets compensated.

[shogged]

2 cases a year. brutal

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by shogged

2 cases a year. brutal

Doesn't surprise me. There are 60(?) CHL teams so that's like roughly 1400 hockey players aged 16 through 21 going to parties, going to schools, etc

Imagine how much never gets reported.

[Eric Vail]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Doesn't surprise me. There are 60(?) CHL teams so that's like roughly 1400 hockey players aged 16 through 21 going to parties, going to schools, etc

Imagine how much never gets reported.

If those young men were facing charges and jail time instead of having their cases being covered up by Hockey Canada, I bet there would be a lot less cases.

[cam_wmh]

Man, I thought Soccer Canada was incompetent, then Hockey Canada says hold all of our beers.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Doesn't surprise me. There are 60(?) CHL teams so that's like roughly 1400 hockey players aged 16 through 21 going to parties, going to schools, etc

Imagine how much never gets reported.

CHL is not actually a Hockey Canada organization. But a lot of their players fall under HC because of tournaments. HC has all other juniors, plus national teams, sledge, womens, etc.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Man, I thought Soccer Canada was incompetent, then Hockey Canada says hold all of our beers.

Soccer Canada is incompetent.

Hockey Canada is quite competent; they are competent at being corrupt.