Investigation into alleged sexual assault causes sponsorship decline at World Juniors
Dalhousie University business professor Lorn Sheehan says the loss of major sponsors due to an investigation into an alleged sexual assault is already causing an obvious affect on the World Junior Hockey Championship.
"It has caused a number of concerns from the strong hold of support that they've enjoyed enjoyed across the country," said Sheehan. "That’s just going to take some time to heal.”
At previous world junior tournaments, rink boards were jammed with advertisements and corporate logos. This year, the boards in Edmonton are covered with generic hockey logos. It's a sign that sponsorship money has dried up.
"Trust with organizations is something that has got up overtime, with repeated interaction with the organization," said Sheehan. "The unfortunate reality is a trust can be torn down virtually in an instant.”
There are at least some local sponsors still supporting the tournament. Downtown Moncton Centre-ville is hosting world junior watch parties for fans.
According to the organization: “Moncton hockey fans will be able to watch the world juniors on the big screen in an exciting environment with family, friends, and food.”
The watch parties are sponsored by Pumphouse Brewery in Moncton.
Moncton hockey analyst Craig Eagles told CTV News the ongoing investigation into the alleged sexual assault, combined with the recent announcement that Canada will not be playing any of its games in Moncton, could make it difficult when it comes to selling tickets and generating local sponsorship and marketing revenues.
CTV's request for an interview with Hockey Canada was declined. A spokesperson with the organization did say they would discuss the state of sponsorship and marketing in September.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.