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

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

Being combative and pointing the finger at other organizations and industries as being guilty of suppressing bad behaviour does not seem like a good look. Just my opinion.

It’s ####ing insane. I can’t believe some of these statements were actually prepared in advance.

[Scroopy Noopers]

https://twitter.com/KatieJStrang/sta...16993161728000

https://twitter.com/user/status/1577316993161728000

https://twitter.com/rwesthead/status...33646637383681

https://twitter.com/user/status/1577333646637383681


#### allllllllll the way off.

[GioforPM]

They shut down the entire Red Cross blood donation operation and replaced it with Canada Blood Service. HC isn't irreplaceable.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

They shut down the entire Red Cross blood donation operation and replaced it with Canada Blood Service. HC isn't irreplaceable.

Did the chair at the time say “will Canada Blood Service even know how to use needles? We don’t know”.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Did the chair at the time say “will Canada Blood Service even know how to use needles? We don’t know”.

It's funny. Like rank and file HC coaches would even care if it's a new org. I bet Canada Blood Services literally hired all the RNs and techs.

[Monahammer]

Wow Andrea Skinner is just a huge piece of ####. I don't understand why people are willing to throw themselves on this bonfire like this, but holy #### she's going up in a blaze.

Board Dinners from Hockey Canada average $5k lol.

[Boreal]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

https://twitter.com/KatieJStrang/sta...16993161728000

https://twitter.com/user/status/1577316993161728000

https://twitter.com/rwesthead/status...33646637383681

https://twitter.com/user/status/1577333646637383681


#### allllllllll the way off.

The graveyards are full of irreplaceable people.

But oh oh oh… their expertise!!

[Boreal]

Too many people in hockey culture are scared of being intelligent adults. Everyone is an expert, and few have actual expertise in the mental, emotional, and biomechanical knowledge and science of the sport.

Hockey Canada is just a larger example of the problems at the provincial and association levels.

Is everyone wrong or bad? No.

Is self interest & cronyism rampant? Yes.

It’s the same with other sports, but this is the one Canadian want to be organized properly, and it isn’t.

[The Cobra]

Andrea Skinner is correct when she says that no segment in society is immune from this type of behaviour.

But she must be the biggest idiot alive to believe that somehow that make it acceptable.

They are dealing with Hockey Canada right now. Not the rest of society.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Andrea Skinner is correct when she says that no segment in society is immune from this type of behaviour.

But she must be the biggest idiot alive to believe that somehow that make it acceptable.

They are dealing with Hockey Canada right now. Not the rest of society.

And most other large institutions have mechanisms in place to deal with cases, some better than others. HC seems totally as hoc and focussed on the coverup. Reminds me of the Catholic Church scandals.

[CaptainCrunch]

oh no

https://nationalpost.com/news/politi...box=1664916143

OTTAWA – The head of Hockey Canada’s board, an organization that paid out nearly $9 million to 21 complainants of sexual misconduct since 1989, says the organization has an “excellent reputation” and that it should not be scapegoated as a “centrepiece for toxic culture.”

Monday’s meeting began with Conservative MP John Nater reading out excerpts from previously unpublished Hockey Canada board meeting minutes that showed the organization was intent on “shifting the narrative” around the scandal in the days following Cairo’s and President Scott Smith’s testimony.
“Settlement payments must be viewed in a positive manner, not a negative manner. Repetition required to state the narrative,” Nater read from the minutes.

He then told the committee that he found it “it deeply troubling that the organization is more concerned with shifting the narrative than actually meaningfully implementing change within this organization.”



Story continues below

Skinner began her testimony to MPs by acknowledging that a “toxic culture” and a “culture of silence” “unquestionably” exist at Hockey Canada, but that they also exist in many other parts of society such as education, business, politics, and religious institutions.

She argued that is “counterproductive” to say that it is a “specific hockey problem” or to “scapegoat hockey as a centrepiece for toxic culture.”

She also said Hockey Canada had acted in a “responsible and respectful” way towards the victim of the lawsuit by settling, thus sparing her “the cruelty and the invasiveness of an adversarial court process involving cross examination and harsh defence tactics.”

She also said the board disagreed there needed to be changes to senior executives, namely President Scott Smith, because it was “in the best interest” of the organization and its participants that leadership “remain stable.”

On Monday, the Globe and Mail reported that Hockey Canada had created a second, previously unreported multimillion-dollar fund called the Participants Legacy Trust Fund that was to be used “for matters including, but not limited to, sexual abuse,” according to court documents by the organization.

Skinner said the fund was misrepresented by the media and denied that it was owned by Hockey Canada and was used to cover sexual assault claims.

Skinner’s testimony was evidently jarring to MPs, who said they had lost confidence in Hockey Canada, that the organization was acting “Trump-like” with its attacks on the media, and that it was “encouraging” a culture of silence towards sexual assault victims.

At the end of the combative meeting, MPs from each party took turns lambasting Skinner and Hockey Canada.

“There’s a clear discrepancy between how the leadership of Hockey Canada views the management of Hockey Canada, and how this committee of all parties and the Canadian public views the leadership of Hockey Canada,” Liberal MP Anthony Housefather told Skinner. “I don’t think you will win back the favour of Canadians… until you look at your leader and you excise that leader.”

Bloc Québécois Sébastien Lemire said Hockey Canada is “living in a bubble” and is “disconnected” from public opinion.

“You’re convincing yourselves that you’ve acted properly,” Lemire said. “You’re contributing to maintaining the toxic culture.”

NDP MP Peter Julian agreed with Lemire’s point and criticized the organization for its lack of forthcomingness throughout the scandal.

“I’ve been profoundly disappointed by the lack of transparency from Hockey Canada now at three hearings since June,” he said. “I believe Hockey Canada can do much better.”

Committee chair Hedy Fry took the floor for a few minutes at the end of the meeting to say she was “distressed and disturbed” by what she’d heard from Hockey Canada Tuesday.

“There doesn’t seem amongst witnesses to be a sense of accountability, to be rational and reasonable,” Fry said. “I am really quite distressed to hear that everyone believes that the current leadership, that has been at the helm since the all of this has been happening, should be kept because it is a ‘grade-A’ team.”

“Blaming everyone else does not mean that there’s a sense of accountability.”

[CF84]

The single most toxic environment I've ever worked was with a group of primarily hockey players. It was the hockey player who were the most toxic and felt entitled to touch people wherever they wanted and whenever they wanted. If a person got pissed at them they would laugh it off and continue their behavior. There are many good people in hockey, but I would dare to say they became good people in spite of growing up in a toxic culture or cult. The same goes for the music scene. When success is introduced at too young an age, you really need the right influences to help the kids realize that entitlement is a slippery and dangerous slope that will do their personalities and relationships no favors.

*I'd like to add that: Hockey Canada has created an environment where players feel "safe" and protected when they cross the line, which only fosters more toxicity.

Something does need to change.

[Samonadreau]

Im surprised with so many sponsors dropping out that it hasn't forced change. They must be losing Millions in lost sponsorships. Not that it should be why, but they clearly dont care about making change over the scandal(s) themselves.

[sureLoss]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1577629753409929217

[Northendzone]

it is almost surreal listing to some of the stuff skinner is saying.

suggesting the lights in arenas may go out if the leadership team at HC is tossed. Seems to me that they have a very over inflated opinion of themselves relative to the happenings at local arenas

[Reggie Dunlop]

I suspect other provinces will follow Quebec's lead.

[powderjunkie]

There is certainly some nuance that could be discussed - including the degree to which current leadership is truly responsible - but at most it should be a footnote after answering in detail exactly how things are going to be fixed.

This is absurdly embarrassing, and probably the most damning evidence of incompetence that completely undermines any argument that things are no worse at HC than anywhere else. No, very few other organizations would respond this poorly.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

it is almost surreal listing to some of the stuff skinner is saying.

suggesting the lights in arenas may go out if the leadership team at HC is tossed. Seems to me that they have a very over inflated opinion of themselves relative to the happenings at local arenas

It's amazing how tone deaf this whole thing is.

"Sure we have a history of covering up sexual abuse, but how will those thousands of volunteers in every city, and on every team in the country manage to run things without this top notch leadership team?"

[CroFlames]

The 7 NHL teams could run 100% of grassroots hockey in Canada and do a better job than Hockey Canada.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

I suspect other provinces will follow Quebec's lead.

I hope so.