Hockey Canada Board Doubles Down on CEO Scott Smith Amidst Scandals

In fairly unsurprising news, Hockey Canada's Board of Governors announced their continued support of CEO Scott Smith despite widespread calls for organizational change, specifically at the leadership level. Hockey Canada currently has two separate group-sexual assault cases under investigation, and they even face accusations of threatening officials.

It's fairly evident that the organization and its culture are fractured beyond what meets the eye, and the road to recovering its credibility will surely dig up more skeletons. The Canadian government and the general public have expressed little faith in leadership, which makes this news so puzzling.

Full statement from Hockey Canada interim Chair, Andrea Skinner:

Criticism of the statement did not take long to surface, and it appears -- at least on social media -- that the majority of people are not supportive of the decision. Up to this point, federal funding for the organization has been frozen pending the conclusion of each investigation and, presumably, further investigations as well.

Sexual assault survivor and advocate Sheldon Kennedy has been outspoken about Hockey Canada's leadership to resign. Global Athlete director general Rob Koehler said he was unsurprised by the board's decision to publicly back Smith. Global Athlete is an international movement led by athletes to address power imbalances in sports.

Sport cannot self-regulate. Sport, like every industry, needs oversight, accountability and transparency. Sport has none of these. Until the Canadian government demands these principles, sports will continue to be a breeding ground for abuse."