Scotiabank announced on Tuesday that it is pausing its sponsorship of Hockey Canada in the wake of sexual assault allegations that came to light last month.
In an open letter to Hockey Canada and all hockey fans and players across the country, Scotiabank president and CEO Brian J. Porter wrote that he is “appalled by the recent reports” and believes Hockey Canada must be held accountable.
“Today, we have made the decision to pause our sponsorship of Hockey Canada until we are confident the right steps are being taken to improve the culture within the sport — both on and off the ice,” Porter wrote, also stating that he expects Hockey Canada “to fully cooperate with the Federal Government’s audit” and ensure Scotiabank’s sponsorship funds were “used as intended.”
Per Porter’s statement, the sponsorship pause includes cancelling plans for a Scotiabank marketing event at August’s World Junior Championship and redirecting sponsorship investments for the world juniors to other programs, “including the Hockey Canada Assist Fund, which is successfully helping to eliminate financial barriers to hockey for young people, and the Women’s World Championship.”
Scotiabank will also make a donation to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, which supports women who are the victims of gender-based violence.
“The time for change is long overdue,” wrote Porter. “We call on Hockey Canada to move with a sense of urgency in order to ensure that the game we love is held to the highest standards.”
Editor’s Note: Scotiabank is a sponsor of programming on Sportsnet, including Wednesday Night Hockey, Hockey Day in Canada and Hometown Hockey.
On April 20, a woman filed a lawsuit to the Ontario Superior Court in London, Ont., in which she says she was sexually assaulted by eight CHL players in June 2018 following a Hockey Canada Foundation event. The woman did not name the players, some of whom were part of the 2017-18 Canadian world juniors roster, referring to them in the statement of claim as John Does 1-8. She also wishes to keep her own identity private. Hockey Canada settled the lawsuit in May.
In the weeks since, the organization has been in the spotlight for its handling of the allegations and the lawsuit, and has faced questions from the federal government about its reporting structures as well as whether it used any public funds to settle the lawsuit.
Scotiabank isn’t the first to pause its funding of Hockey Canada in the wake of this case — last week, Canada’s minister of sport, Pascale St-Onge, announced the federal government was freezing its funding — but it is the first major sponsor to publicly come forward and take this kind of financial action.
In addition to the money it receives from major sponsors like Scotiabank, Hockey Canada also receives about $7.8 million annually — accounting for six per cent of its annual budget — from the Canadian government. The federal funding freeze will remain in place until the organization discloses the recommendations provided to them by third-party investigators at Henein and Hutchison, and signs on with the office of the sports integrity commissioner.
Also last week, in the wake of a government hearing that saw president and COO Scott Smith and outgoing CEO Tom Renney questioned by members of parliament about their handling of the allegations, the House of Commons carried a motion to ask for an independent investigation into Hockey Canada.
