What Hockey Canada resignations mean for World Juniors in Halifax, Moncton

After Hockey Canada announced its CEO and the remaining seven members of the board of directors are stepping down, questions are being raised about how the move will affect the world juniors set to take place in Halifax and Moncton next year.

Last week, joint statements were sent out by the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and the host cities of Moncton and Halifax suggesting the tournament could be axed.

But, with top brass at Hockey Canada now off the job, Halifax’s deputy mayor says she is more comfortable with the event going ahead.

“Obviously, the International Ice Hockey Federation is going to move ahead with the world juniors, they have not made a statement that they are not going to,” said Pam Lovelace.

The Hockey Canada controversy stretches back to May of this year when TSN first reported that Hockey Canada had reached an undisclosed settlement with a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted in London, Ont., by several members of the Canadian world junior hockey team, in 2018.

In June, the federal government froze its funding to Hockey Canada and ordered a financial audit. That month, federal politicians began examining Hockey Canada's handling of alleged sexual assaults and lawsuit pay-outs.

It was then revealed by The Canadian Press in July that the organization's "National Equity Fund" partly bolstered by minor hockey registration fees was used to pay for "uninsured liabilities," such as sexual abuse claims, a practice the organization later confirmed it was halting.

Days later, another allegation of group sexual assault surfaced involving members of the Canadian world junior hockey team in 2003. While police and NHL investigations are underway, the allegations have not been proven in court.

New Brunswick’s premier says the resignations at Hockey Canada are a step in the right direction but says he and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston need to see what changes are coming to Hockey Canada’s processes and procedures.

“Our goal is to jointly be connected here because we’re partners in this tournament so we’ll learn more from Hockey Canada and decide from there if it’s enough,” said New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs.

A joint statement Tuesday from Higgs and Houston called the leadership change at Hockey Canada “an important step toward accountability and meaningful change.”

But, some are still calling for the tournament to be scrapped.

“I don’t see it as a sacrifice or a loss,” said human rights advocate Linda MacDonald in an interview with CTV News. “I think it’s an opportunity for the hockey teams to sit down with all these young men and maybe do an educational session on what sexualized violence is.”

Hockey analyst and scout Craig Eagles says the officials at Hockey Canada needed to step down sooner.

“Whenever there is systemic change, a need for systemic change, it was all about protecting the brand instead of doing the right thing and they should have moved appropriately and swiftly,” said Eagles.

He says that would have been in the best interest of the game and more importantly, the alleged victims.

With files from CTVNews.ca