Hockey Canada has a new Board of Directors.
Now the real work begins.
Members of the struggling national sports organization elected a slate of candidates on Saturday to fill nine vacant seats on the board.
Retired judge Hugh L. Fraser is Hockey Canada’s new president, while former Women’s National Team captain Cassie Campbell-Pascall is one of eight directors.
The 13 provincial and territorial organizations of the federation had the choice to accept or reject the nine names, including five women and four men, proposed by an independent nominating committee.
Three days after interim president Andrea Skinner resigned in October, Hockey Canada’s former board also resigned — under-fire president and CEO Scott Smith left at the same time — amid scathing criticism related to the scandal-ridden organization’s handling of sexual assault allegations and the silence on payouts to victims.
“We understand the disappointment and loss of confidence,” Fraser said Saturday in a phone interview with The Canadian Press. “There is a lot of work to do to rebuild Hockey Canada.
“Our goal is to make the sport safer and more inclusive and to restore that trust.”
Grant Borbridge, Julie Duranceau, David Evans, Marni Fullerton, Jonathan F. Goldbloom, Marian Jacko and Andrea Poole were also elected directors.
Their first task will be to hire a new CEO and rebuild trust in an organization badly bruised since May, when it was revealed that a woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by eight CHL players – including team members. 2018 World Junior Championships – following a hockey game. Canada Gala in London, Ontario four years ago. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
The fallout was quick.
Hockey Canada has seen its federal and corporate funding cut as new scandals have surfaced, while a series of disastrous heritage committee meetings on Parliament Hill that saw past and present public servants grilled by MPs have ultimately led to the resignation of the board and the departure of Smith.
The ugly headlines included the revelation that Hockey Canada’s little-known National Equity Fund – fed by dues collected from players across the country – had been used to pay off uninsured debts, including sexual abuse claims.
With nearly three decades of experience in the Ontario Court of Justice, Fraser has served on the Court of Arbitration for Sport since 1995 and served on the first ad hoc tribunal at the 1996 Olympics.
Born in Jamaica and raised in Kingston, Ontario, he also competed in the men’s 200 meter track and field event at the 1976 Olympics and is the father of former NHL defenseman Mark Fraser.
“It means a lot,” Fraser said after being selected from a pool of more than 550 applicants.
“I am a hockey fanatic and have watched from the sidelines as recent events unfold. »
Liberal MP and heritage committee member Anthony Housefather said in a statement that the new council represented “a diverse group of highly qualified people”.
“They also have a huge challenge,” he added.
“To say Hockey Canada has been through a tumultuous time is an understatement,” Conservative MP and heritage committee member Rachael Thomas said in a separate statement. “The new board members have a responsibility to players, parents and Canadians to guide the organization into a positive future.”
Campbell-Pascall brings the most Hockey Canada experience to the table.
The three-time Olympian, who helped the women’s team win gold at the 2002 and 2006 Games, currently sits on her foundation’s board of directors and was the first female hockey player inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
A recipient of the Order of Canada, Campbell-Pascall was also the first woman to provide color commentary on “Hockey Night in Canada” and is a regular on Sportsnet’s NHL broadcasts.
Her husband, Brad Pascall, is an assistant general manager for the Calgary Flames and held senior roles with Hockey Canada from 1995 to 2014, according to his LinkedIn page.
“Cassie should not be held responsible for her husband’s prior employment,” Fraser said. “She has carved out her own career and will be a very, very valued collaborator in helping us understand some of the challenges of the game.”
Borbridge, Jacko and Poole, meanwhile, have significant experience in hockey administration.
A Calgary corporate lawyer, Borbridge has served on the board of directors of the Girls Hockey Calgary Association and the Glenlake Minor Hockey Club.
Jacko, an Anishinaabe from the Wiikwemkoong First Nation, is the Assistant Deputy Attorney General for the Aboriginal Justice Division in Ontario. She is also president of the Little Native Hockey League.
Poole, who runs an accounting firm, served as director of the Ottawa East Minor Hockey Association.
The other new board members come from outside the sport.
Duranceau is a licensed attorney and mediator, Goldbloom is a communications specialist, Fullerton has experience as a senior advisor and CEO, and Evans has worked in the consultancy, consultancy and real estate industries.
Fraser said this wide range of expertise is crucial to Hockey Canada’s path forward.
“There’s obviously more visible diversity than what organizations like this tend to display,” he said. “But we are also talking about diversity of thought.
“The perspectives that everyone brings, I was just so impressed.”
Former Supreme Court Justice Thomas Cromwell led an independent review of Hockey Canada released in November. The 221-page document concluded that the federation was at a “crossroads” and called for more oversight and accountability.
Cromwell’s report provided a number of recommendations, including that in future no more than 60% of board members be of the same gender.
He also recommended that the new board serve a special one-year term focused on improving the organization’s governance and safety in sport.
The clock is already ticking.
“Trust won’t be rebuilt overnight,” Fraser said. “But Canadians should know that the new leadership of Hockey Canada is very committed to getting it right.
“We are confident that we will be able to do that.”
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Follow @JClipperton_CP on Twitter.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
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