Hockey Canada's new leadership should include voices from outside the sport, says expert
‘It’s difficult to change a culture when you’ve become acculturated’: Laura Misener
With the impending departure of Hockey Canada's leadership, discussion has shifted to who should form its new board of directors.
Laura Misener, director of the School of Kinesiology at Western University and a researcher in sport and social impact, says at least some of its new leaders should come from outside the world of hockey
"It's difficult to change a culture when you've become acculturated; you've grown up within the culture because that's really what you know, you love it, you're passionate about it," Misener told The Current's Matt Galloway.
Misener said Hockey Canada could use a voice from another sport that's been through a similar reckoning — or someone from the business sector who understands change management and "can really manage the change as we move forward."
"It doesn't mean we're not going to bring the hockey people back into the mix and into the fold and have that representation and have that voice," she said. "But I think we need to hear a different voice at the table to really achieve that culture shift."
Hockey Canada announced its CEO and entire board of directors will step aside Tuesday. The organization said in a statement that an interim management committee will be put in place until a new board appoints a new CEO to lead the organization.
WATCH: Sport minister 'welcomes' Hockey Canada CEO's resignation
The decision comes after months of widespread criticism over its handling of an alleged group sexual assault involving members of the 2018 world junior hockey team.
A virtual election for the new board is scheduled for Dec. 17. Hockey Canada's statement says the current board will not seek re-election.
It also follows a mass pull-out by several major sponsors, including Bauer, who have paused support as the official equipment provider for Hockey Canada's men's teams
Mary-Kay Messier, Bauer Hockey's Vice President of Marketing, said Hockey Canada's leadership has lost faith and trust of the Canadian people.
In order for progress to be made, "the first step had to be for the leadership to step down," she said.
"For that reason, if you're not serving the people, you're really serving yourself," she said. "It's an unfortunate development that needed to happen."
Supporting underrepresented communities
Although Bauer will be pausing its support for Hockey Canada's men's teams, it will continue supplying equipment to the women's programs.
Bauer said in a statement that Hockey Canada can still buy products for the men's programs, but they will redistribute the profits to "increase accessibility and equity in girl's, women's, para hockey and other underrepresented communities."
By redeploying those funds and exposure to the women's game, Messier said it helps "elevate and advance the women's game … not only in equipment, but also through programs at the grassroots level."
"I think it's that type of support that's needed to continue to elevate the underrepresented communities in hockey," she said.
Misener is supportive of efforts to elevate the opportunities, funds and resources available for typically underrepresented players.
"As much as we like to say that we're leaders in women's hockey, [the] reality is it's a very inequitable situation for women in the sport," she said.
"We haven't even scratched the surface of talking about the fact that para ice hockey in under the purview of hockey Canada and gets very little."
Misener said there's been a creation of a "toxic culture around … masculine ideology" in hockey that has led to the acceptance of "poor behaviours" and cover-ups.
But with other national sports organizations igniting conversations about trauma-informed policies and understandings, she thinks now is a good time to have difficult conversations about the need to change the structures and systems prevalent throughout hockey in Canada.
"Do I think it's going to change the culture right away? No, I think that takes a very long time — and it is pervasive throughout the culture of our society that we need to be thinking about it," she said.
"But I think we're ready to have the conversations and start making a move in the right direction."
With files from CBC News. Produced by Paul MacInnis, Brianna Gosse, Kate Cornick and Idella Sturino.
