2023-12-15 09:00:00
Little by little, business is returning to normal at Hockey Canada and within the Junior Team Canada program. However, as the final days of 2023 pass, incredibly, the former junior national team players suspected of having engaged in an alleged gang rape in 2018 have still not been identified or punished. , nor accused by anyone.
With good reason, Quebec hockey fans celebrated the unveiling of the Team Canada 2024 roster on Wednesday, of which six players born in Quebec will be part. This is a first since 2017. Better yet: it is the first time since 2002 that two goalkeepers from Quebec have been selected in the Canadian selection and the first time since 1989 (!) that three Quebec defenders have carved out a position in same time within ÉCJ.
Now let’s talk about the real business.
In the spring of 2022, Hockey Canada quickly reached a confidential financial settlement of more than three million dollars with a young woman who alleged she had been sexually assaulted by eight Junior Team Canada players. The alleged assault took place in a London hotel room in June 2018. By signing this agreement and this check, Hockey Canada therefore protected the alleged perpetrators of a gang rape from any charges.
The result was a terrible scandal that led to the withdrawal of the federation’s sponsors, the departure of Hockey Canada’s CEO, Scott Smith, and the resignation of all members of the board of directors.
Over the past year, HC’s new leadership team has worked hard to improve the governance of the federation and to try to regain the trust of sponsors and members.
Thus, the Globe and Mail reported this Thursday morning that national sponsors like Tim Horton’s, Esso, Bauer and Telus have happily wiped the slate clean and will proudly show their support for Hockey Canada during the World Junior Championship which will begin on December 26. And just last week, the Ontario government announced with great fanfare a grant of four million dollars to the organizing committee of the 2025 World Juniors, which will be played in Ottawa.
In short, everything is going like the best of all possible worlds despite the fact that the basic problem has still not been resolved. Despite three investigations carried out simultaneously by the London police, by the NHL and by a third party designated by Hockey Canada, the alleged perpetrators of this collective sexual assault were very little worried.
Last August, before the NHL training camps opened, I found it surreal that the report commissioned by Gary Bettman in the summer of 2022 had not yet been made public and that no sanctions had been imposed. had still been taken.
However, we are in December and nothing has changed yet.
It is enough to put together the statements of NHL leaders on this matter end to end to see how little they seem in a hurry to resolve it.
- Last January, almost a year ago, Bettman said his security detail’s investigation was winding down.
- In early June, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league’s investigation into the alleged sexual assault had been completed and, as a result, NHL officials expected to receive a report early. of summer.
- Most recently, in November, Bettman reiterated that the NHL was “very, very close” to the end of this process.
- Then, a few days ago, the esteemed colleague Pierre Lebrun (TSN, Athletic) revealed that the NHL was trying to negotiate possible disciplinary measures with the Players’ Association and with the agents of the players involved.
We think we’re dreaming.
We are talking here about a league, an association of players and agents who went to the barricades last September and who kicked out coach Mike Babcock, military handbecause he had violated the privacy of Columbus Blue Jackets players by searching their cell phones.
And these same people would find it appropriate to negotiate in order to reduce the severity of the sanctions imposed on the alleged perpetrators of gang rape? When you think about it, isn’t this similar to what Hockey Canada leaders did in 2022?
Seriously Gary, where is this famous report that you have had in your hands for months?
As for Hockey Canada, I repeat, the new leadership and the new board of directors have done a lot to turn things around over the past year. On the other hand, apart from the return of some of their biggest sponsors, they have still not delivered anything concrete in relation to this revolting scandal.
A month ago, Hockey Canada announced that an independent committee, made up of two former judges and a renowned lawyer, had rendered its decision in this case. The committee was to determine whether the alleged attackers had violated the federation’s code of conduct and, if so, impose appropriate sanctions.
However, the committee’s decision was appealed as soon as it was rendered. Consequently, in another fine example of confidential justice that the world of sport seems to love, this case was immediately sent back into limbo, probably for several months.
It is unclear what the independent committee’s decision was and who made the call.
Are you reassured?
Finally, the biggest player in this saga, the London Police Department, is even more worrying than the other two.
London police have in recent years been among the Canadian police services that laid the fewest charges for sexual assault in relation to the number of complaints submitted to them. The situation was so serious that a special committee was formed to double-check the decisions of this police force when it decided to abandon investigations into sexual assaults.
In 2018, after a cursory investigation, the London police decided that there were no grounds to lay charges against the members of the 2018 Junior Team Canada. Brother Rick Westhead, from TSNhowever revealed that at the time, this file had not been handed over to the supervisory committee even though it should have been.
However, when this alleged assault became a national scandal in 2022, the investigation was reopened. This time, the London police officers changed their tune.
In October 2022, in a motion presented to the Court, the police claimed that they had good reason to believe that five players had sexually assaulted the alleged victim. As a result, they requested the Court to grant them access to certain evidence and exhibits.
It was 14 months ago. And since then, it’s been radio silence.
Ultimately, no matter how you look at this affair, it is obvious that it is characterized by an abnormally high number of pitfalls, delays, precautions, delaying tactics and excuses.
And one can reasonably wonder if this saga would have been as long as it was if the alleged attackers had been anyone other than members of the Canadian junior team.
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