Hockey Canada’s Reputation Takes a Hit After Assault Case Uncovers Financial Scandal

Five former world junior hockey players walking into court during their trial - photo by J.J. Pavlick (baddogsports)

Written by Gina Anton

Five former world junior hockey players on Thursday were found not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room in June 2018. Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia spent more than five hours reviewing the evidence slowly before revealing the ruling in court in London, Ontario. Only select media were given access to the main courtroom as a result of the immense number of people fighting to get a seat. The 5 players accused, Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé, and Cal Foote, were allowed to leave after Carroccia gave her grounds for why she made her decision. According to CTV news “family members of the defendants audibly gasped and tears began flowing” after the verdict was revealed.

Only hours after the ruling, the NHL released a statement saying, “The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing, and the behavior at issue was unacceptable. We will be reviewing and considering the judge's findings.” The players are currently ineligible to play in the league’s preseason preparation. 

The NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) believes the opposite of the NHL’s comment. They released two statements to the public explaining their opinion.

"After missing more than a full season of their respective NHL careers, they should now have the opportunity to return to work," the NHLPA explained Thursday evening.

"The NHL's declaration that the players are 'ineligible' to play pending its further analysis of the court's findings is inconsistent with the discipline procedures set forth in the collective bargaining agreement. We are addressing this dispute with the league and will have no further comment at this time.​"

Additionally, it was revealed that Hockey Canada utilized players' registration fees to cover $2.9 million in settlements during this fiscal year, a detail that emerged during the scandal. The newly released financial statements confirm that the contentious National Equity Fund was the source of all settlement payments made this year. According to the records, the sole contributions to this fund originate from players' registration fees.

Parents were extremely enraged to find their money had been used in such a way without their knowledge. Federal and provincial governments have since frozen funding to Hockey Canada, and many sponsors have dropped them in fear of their companies' reputations being ruined as well. Hockey Canada now faces strong backlash and struggles to restore their reputation this upcoming season.