A faltering institution… In Canada, ice hockey and its federation have been entangled for months in a huge sex scandal that seems to have shaken the faith of some Canadians in their favorite sport. Cornered for weeks and dropped by many sponsors, the Canadian federation announced on Tuesday the resignation of its president, Scott Smith, and of its entire board of directors.
Last May, Canadians were shocked to learn that eight players from the 2018 National Junior Team had been charged with the group sexual assault of a young woman. And that the federation had covered up the affair by concluding a confidential agreement of several million dollars with the victim. The irony is that the settlement was partially paid via a secret fund subsidized in part by the contributions of young Canadian hockey players!
Two secret funds to compensate victims and stifle cases
Suffice to say that among practitioners, it’s a cold shower and indignation. “Our national sport is tainted, seriously tainted, believes Martin Pronovost, former player and referee. There is a loss of trust on the part of the parents. »
And the weeks of denials by the leaders of the federation who have sought to minimize the facts have further shaken the population. An attitude that prompted sponsors and Ottawa authorities to react on several occasions.
In recent days, sports equipment manufacturers Nike and Bauer and restaurant chain Tim Hortons have withdrawn their support for Hockey Canada’s men’s program. The federal government as well as several provincial federations have also cut their subsidies, asking to see real changes. Especially since several Canadian media revealed that there was not just one secret fund, but two and that they had been used several times.
Some 15 cases of alleged group sexual assaults have been identified since 1989, half of them in the last decade. And these attacks are reminiscent of the Sheldon Kennedy case, named after a player who was sexually assaulted more than 300 times by his coach in the 1990s.
“Sexual violence has been treated as an insurance problem at Hockey Canada rather than a systemic problem that needs to be addressed at the source,” said federal Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge.
Misogyny, homophobia, violence and racism
In the country, some do not hesitate to say that it is therefore time to question this sport which is steeped in misogyny, homophobia, violence and racism.
“There’s definitely a culture in hockey where some things aren’t taken seriously enough, because a lot of people are just focused on winning,” said Allison Forsyth, a former skier who competed in the Olympics, herself a victim. of sexual assault.
In addition to hockey, many sports have in recent years been splashed by scandals of sexual abuse and assault, such as gymnastics and women’s football in the United States or even figure skating in France. “We need to make major changes to teach our children what is acceptable and what is not”, adds the one who promotes healthy sport for all.
All this happens at a time when hockey attracts less young people than before, in favor of football and basketball in particular. Although hockey is part of the Canadian landscape, its number of licensees (more than 607,000 in 2019) has been declining since 2014, far behind football.
