Players did not need to participate in the investigation and were not disciplined in any way
Like the military, sports organizations are notorious for being unaffected by change. They are most often dominated by senior citizens' clubs, suffering from isolation, relying heavily on hierarchical power structures, demanding blind obedience, and forcing a secret culture.
They tend to move away from private criminal courts and the public eye to enforce their own justice. In many cases, they will perpetuate fraud instead.
The problem is that when it comes to military reform, you can't simply cancel them during decades of scandals of sexual scandals. For obvious reasons, you can't say, "Sorry, your behavior is very terrible, there are no signs of regret, and I'm going to press the kill switch."
However, sports organizations do not suffer from the same inherent untouchableness. Without national security seppuku, they can be defeated or knocked out for at least a few rounds. Cultural inertia, upset fandom, and large financial incentives usually prevent this result, but it is possible.
And now it is needed: the country needs to press the kill switch in Hockey Canada. Even allowing the organization to drag, supported by public apologies and regret crutches, is too generous in light of theclaims first reported by TSN's Rick Westhead. increase. The accusations are that members of the 2017-2018 National Junior Hockey Team, along with other Canadian Hockey League players, gang-raped and sexually assaulted women.
In 2018, after a hockey Canadian golf tournament and banquet in London, Ontario, a group of eight hockey players allegedly forced a drunken woman to have oral sex. According to Westhead's proceedings, "The player also straddles the plaintiff with his genitals on his face, slapps the plaintiff on her buttocks, spits on her, ejaculates on her, and has vaginal intercourse with her. Allegedly engaged.) Pressured her to leave the room when she tried. "
She also when she was crying. Even the shower that claimed she pressured her to leave the room, had her condition in the video that she was calm, and told her when the horrific assault was over.
In the aftermath, Hockey Canada allegedly allowed players not only to avoid accountability, but to avoid any investigation. The organization says it has contacted the London Police and hired a law firm to conduct an independent internal investigation and make recommendations. However, importantly,did not requirehockey players to actually participate in the above survey.
Six or seven players who attended the assaulted golf tournament declined to participate. Somenow playin the NHL. Hockey Canada did not break the relationship with the players or discipline them in any way.claims that he does not know who the actual player involved in the assault was.
As part of that, Hockey Canada states: Players involved. This is her right and we fully respect her wishes. We have solved this problem. As part of that solution, I will not comment further.
The woman claimed the player involved in the alleged assault and noted that the rape pressured her not to report to the police or cooperate in the criminal investigation. is needed.
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Hockey Canada's investigation was conducted by a third party, Henein Hutchison LLP, a company wheremercilessly distorted the accuser ofJian Ghomeshi into a stand. Now Marie Hennein is just doing her job and doing it well, but I can understand why a female whistleblower may not jump to the opportunity to be questioned by her or her team. .. You can also see how an organization that hires Henein Hutchison outside the gate signals whistleblowers that they should forget everything, even if it's a third-party investigation.
In front of the Parliamentary Commission, President Scott Smith of Hockey Canada said the organization had been alleged of sexual assault once or twice a yearin the last five years. I testified. Year. No details are provided on how these were investigated or resolved.
Over the years, the NCAA has sentenced several college sports programs to what has become known as the "death penalty." This is the toughest punishment faced by organizations and prohibits schools from participating in sports for at least a year.
Similarly, Hockey Canada will be sentenced to death by sponsors and partners, as well as governments at various levels, until the actual plans to regain trust and accountability within its rank are revived. Should be. Tweaking the code of conduct is not enough. The iconic funding pauses that resume as the media cycle progresses are very inadequate.
Continued independent oversight, concrete plans for how to deal with future claims, a new culture of transparency, and others related to players, coaches, and organizations. We need a real way to make people accountable. Because of illegal activity. If possible, you should add new blood from outside the tissue to make changes to Hockey Canada's highest rank.
This kind of change, or even a change plan, doesn't happen in a few weeks. It will take at least a few months.
So far, the federal government, which provides about 6% of Canada's annual hockey funding, has announced that the organization has disclosed Henein Hutchinson's recommendations and "changed specific details of the plan. You will also need to sign on to the new office of theSports Integrity Commissioner. This office receives and handles complaints of abuse against Canadian sports organizations on its own.
Hockey Canada's growing list of sponsors, including the next World Junior Championships in Edmonton, also paused, including Scotiabank, Esso, Tim Hortons, Tellus, Canadian Tires Or withdrew funding altogether.
The federal government and these companies need to aggressively withdraw funds for at least the rest of 2022. Less than that encourages rapid correction and returns to normal conditions where abuse and assault are not investigated, dealt with and punished.
With all othersponsorsorpartnersin Hockey Canada, future World Juniors should do the same. Not yet announced are Nike, Sobeys, EA Sports and Pepsi Co. , Chevrolet, SkipTheDishes, Bauer, The Keg, Swiss Chalet and more. Alberta, Edmonton, and Red Deer governments should also consider financial support for the tournament.
Hockey Canada's official broadcaster, TSN, needs to seriously consider whether and how to continue broadcasting the event. Advertisers should help them make this decision by eliciting planned ads.
Hockey Canada's fate serves as an example of many other Canadian sports organizations, fromgymnasticstobobsleighsandathletics. must. Allegations of abuse and assault of oneself. If Hockey Canada is sentenced to death, anyone can be sentenced to death. In the face of such a reality, the ripples of change become rapid.
To give Canadian hockey a financial death penalty requires collective effort and willingness to make sacrifices. But if you love hockey as much as Canadians claim, and if sports represent us as a nation, you need to scare them straight. We cannot continue the status quo and do nothing but the harshest punishment.
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