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Andrea Skinner, who came under fire for how Hockey Canada has handled allegations of sexual assaults by two Canadian world junior teams, resigned Saturday as chair of the board.
“Upon reflection, it is clear to me from recent events that it no longer makes sense for me to continue to volunteer my time as Interim Chair or as a Director of the organization,” Skinner said in a statement. “Despite recent challenges, I am gratified to have had the opportunity to cross paths with countless volunteers, dedicated people within the organization, sponsors and other stakeholders.”
Skinner, a Toronto lawyer, replaced Michael Brind’Amour after he resigned as chair of the board in August after Hockey Canada came under fire for how it handled allegations that the 2003 and 2018 world junior teams were involved in group sexual assaults.
The feeling was that Skinner, a relative newcomer to Hockey Canada after joining the board in 2020, would provide a fresh perspective on the national organization’s structure.
However, after a third hearing in Ottawa became contentious between Skinner and members of Parliament on the Heritage committee responsible for a portion of the organization’s funding, the calls for wholesale change grew louder.
“I’m focused on carrying out the balance of my term as long as I feel like I can be a positive voice for hockey and for change,” she told the committee on Tuesday. “I don’t know what my future plans are. I can tell you I joined the board to be part of meaningful and positive change and growth in hockey. I didn’t expect to be involved in politics. In some ways, this is a bit of a defining moment for me. I didn’t expect to be a lightning rod for extremists or receive threatening and hostile emails. I came here to be positive. I’m spending time away from my kids and my family and my job. So, the short answer is, I don’t know.”
It’s unclear who will replace Skinner as chair of the board. The organization is due to elect a new chair and eight directors on Dec. 17.
