Could Scotiabank's big withdrawal spur change at Hockey Canada?

Scotiabank's decision to pause its sponsorship of Hockey Canada is the kind of move with the potential to help bring significant change to hockey's toxic, masculine culture, says a Western University professor who specializes in sports and human rights.

"When Hockey Canada is settling lawsuits about sexual violence out of court, that's when aligning your brand with them becomes hazardous," said Mac Ross, an assistant professor at Western's school of kinesiology.

Ross was responding to an open letter released Tuesday by Scotiabank CEO Brian J. Porter. The bank boss was himself responding to how Hockey Canada handled an allegation of sexual assault against eight members of Canada's World Junior hockey team in 2018. 

A woman claimed she was assaulted by the players in a downtown hotel following a gala and golf function four years ago in London, Ont. Hockey Canada reached an out-of-court settlement with the accuser, but the organization is facing questions about how it handled the complaint. Also the players, including some who are now likely playing in the NHL, were never identified.

Porter wrote that Scotiabank's longtime relationship with hockey's governing body in Canada will only resume if the bank is confident "the right steps are being taken to improve the culture within the sport — both on and off the ice." 

Last week the federal government announced it would also stop all government funding until Hockey Canada can show signs of positive change. That game after a grilling of Hockey Canada executives at a parliamentary committee.

But how much weight does one sponsorship carry?

Hockey Canada has a relationship with scores of corporate sponsors eager to align their brands with a sport that lies close to the heart of many Canadians. According to financial information posted on their website, about 27 per cent of Hockey Canada's funding comes from corporate sponsorship.

Business partnerships listed in Hockey Canada's 2021-02 annual report include such brands as Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire, Bauer, Telus, Esso and others. 

Late Tuesday, Canadian Tire and Telus announced they would pull their funding from the World Junior Hockey Championship, the high-profile international tournament that showcases the best junior players in the world.

In a statement, Esso, through its parent company Imperial Oil, said it is watching the situation and "that concrete steps must be taken immediately to address safety issues and ensure swift culture change." For now, it's decided not to pull its support for Hockey Canada. 

Ross said he hopes Scotiabank's move will force Hockey Canada and other organizations in the sport to address a culture of toxic masculinity.

"I hope it can spur change," said Ross. "I think hockey has a real problem. It's our national sport, and we bestow a degree of privilege and respect upon hockey players and coaches that we just don't in other sports here in Canada."

Taylor McKee is an assistant professor of sports management at Brock University. He called Scotiabank's move a "bold step." 

"These companies don't want to appear they are capitulating to hockey Canada's toxic culture," said McKee, who spoke of a possible "domino effect" if other companies pull out if they feel Hockey Canada isn't moving toward change fast enough. "This is a drastic step and could cause many others to follow suit."

McKee said in his view, it's dollars more than anything else that can force change in an elite and well-funded sports organization. As an example, he points to the Washington Commanders of the NFL. For years, Indigenous groups called for the team to change its former nickname, which is a slur historically used to vilify Native Americans.

The outrage and calls for change went on for years but McKee said the momentum to change really kicked in when FedEx, the name sponsor of the team's home field, asked the team to change its name.  

"In many senses, it might be the most effective way to generate change on an issue like this," said McKee of chequebook pressure that can come from sponsors. 

Hockey Canada issued a statement Tuesday in the wake of Scotiabank's withdrawal. It said they "respect and understand" the decision and that the organization is working to "change the culture of our sport and to make it safer and more inclusive both at the rink and in our communities."

The company also said they agree "that more needs to be done, and more quickly."

Sheldon Kennedy, a former NHLer who survived sexual abuse in hockey, said sponsors are right to demand change from the organizations they support.

"This is a good opportunity for Hockey Canada to get up to speed with the expectation of society."