The Hockey Canada scandal: What we know, and don’t know, about the two sexual-assault incidents
Police are now investigating two alleged sexual assaults involving members of Hockey Canada junior teams - one in 2018 and one in 2003 - in a scandal that has left the national governing body for the sport reeling.
The organization is also undergoing a third-party governance review and has had its funding suspended by the federal government.
In one alleged incident, eight members of the national junior hockey team are said to have sexually assaulted a woman in London, Ont. in 2018. On Friday, allegations came to light involving the 2003 men's world junior hockey championship team in Halifax.
Here's what we know about the two alleged incidents.
What happened in London in 2018
In June 2018, a woman's stepfather told Hockey Canada that she alleged she was sexually assaulted by eight players, including members of the national junior team, while intoxicated after the Hockey Canada Foundation Gala & Gold event in London on June 18.
Hockey Canada said it informed London police, which then opened an investigation. Hockey Canada also initiated a third-party investigation of its own.
Then, in February 2019, according to Hockey Canada, the complainant declined to speak with authorities or its own investigators, and London police informed them they had closed their investigation. Hockey Canada said its own investigation was closed in September 2020,
In April 2022, the woman filed a statement of claim seeking $3.55 million in damages from Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and eight unnamed players. The following month, Hockey Canada settled the lawsuit out of court with the complainant for an undisclosed amount.
How it came to light
TSN reported details of the alleged assault and settlement, making the allegations public for the first time on May 26, 2022.
The reaction
The fallout was swift - on June 2, Minister of Sport Pascale St-Onge ordered a forensic audit of Hockey Canada to make sure no public funds were used as part of the settlement.
Later in June, Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney and president Scott Smith testified before parliament's Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage that 19 players were strongly encouraged" to speak to third-party investigators but were not required to do so. Furthermore, the Hockey Canada leaders said they did not know the identities of the eight players alleged to have committed the assault.
It was also stated that the organization has reported three sexual-assault complaints in recent years; Renney and Smith declined to discuss the other two with the committee.
St-Onge announced a freeze to Hockey Canada's federal funding until the organization discloses the steps it took in addressing the allegations.
In late June, Scotiabank, Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons, Telus and Esso paused or withdrew sponsorship funds from the organization.
More than a dozen hockey players, either on social media or through their legal counsel, have since denied any involvement in the alleged assault.
On July 18, The Canadian Press reported that the organization has maintained a fund, drawn from minor-hockey membership fees, to pay for uninsured liabilities including sexual abuse claims. Hockey Canada confirms the existence of the fund the next day, calling it a National Equity Fund" that covers a broad range of expenses.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he thought it was hard for anyone in Canada to have faith or trust in anyone at Hockey Canada." The next day, the organization said it will no longer use the fund to settle sexual-assault claims.
What happened in Halifax in 2003
Hockey Canada says it is also investigating an allegation of a group sexual assault involving the 2003 men's world junior hockey championship team, and that it has contacted Halifax Regional Police about the allegations (the city co-hosted the world junior hockey championship that year).
How it came to light
On Friday, TSN reported that they have independently verified reports of a video that captured the Halifax incident with three different sources. The video, described as six or seven minutes long, allegedly depicts a player speaking to a camera operator outside of a room and saying viewers were about to see a f--king lamb roast," according to the three sources.
The video is then said to show roughly half a dozen players taking turns having sex with a woman who was non-responsive and lying face up on the pool table, according to a TSN source.
The fallout
On July 14, Hockey Canada said it is reopening a third-party investigation into the alleged 2018 assault, and that participation by the players in question will be mandatory. It adds that players, coaches, team staff and volunteers associated with its high-performance program will be required to undergo sexual violence and consent training.
The organization further commits to a third-party review of its governance and to sign on as a full signatory to the federal government's Office of the Integrity Commissioner. It also says it will create an independent and confidential complaint mechanism for victims and survivors.
Earlier this week, London police said they had ordered an internal review of their 2018 investigation. They added that the original investigation was lengthy and detailed," but that the review would determine if any additional investigative avenues may exist." Chief Steve Williams said Friday that a preliminary review revealed further investigative opportunities" and that the investigation would be relaunched.
On Friday, TSN reported that Halifax Regional Police confirmed to the sports network it would be investigating the 2003 group sexual assault allegation.