Actions: Louder Than Words

If we're being totally honest about the Hockey Canada scandals in which the organization finds itself, the person who replaces recently-resigned Chair of the Board Michael Brind'Amour would be stepping into an utter mess. Whether it be the general distrust in the organization over their payouts for sexual minconduct allegations or the anger of the cover-ups of those scandals, there's not a lot to be excited about when it comes to replacing Brind'Amour. I don't envy whoever takes over for the outgoing Brind'Amour, but the next few months will see one person attempt to rebuild some trust in Hockey Canada with her appointment announcement today.

The woman above, Andrea Skinner, will look to start fixing Hockey Canada at all levels in the organization once more after she was appointed as the interim chair of Hockey Canada's Board of Directors until November 2022 when the current term for that role ends.

For those asking, Hockey Canada's release on Ms. Skinner's appointment lists her prior Hockey Canada experience as follows:

"Andrea was elected to the Hockey Canada Board of Directors in November 2020 as part of the first Board elected under the organization's updated By-Laws requiring a minimum of two men and two women to be elected to the Board. Andrea was recruited from the public at large by Hockey Canada’s independent nominating committee.

In addition to serving as a member of the volunteer Board of Directors at large, Andrea is currently the Chair of the Hockey Canada Human Resources Standing Committee, and also serves as a member of Hockey Canada’s Risk Management Standing Committee, Audit and Finance Committee, and Reinstatement Committee. She is Board liaison to the Officiating Curriculum Task Team."

Wait. Hold on a second. She serves as a member of the Risk Management Standing Committee and the Audit and Finance Committee - the two committees who would have adjudicated, evaluated, and signed off on the budgets filed by Hockey Canada that had accounting for the secret account for the sexual misconduct payouts? Something seems off about this appointment based on that prior experience.

I shouldn't jump to conclusions, though, so perhaps I can give her a modicum of benefit of the doubt as we read a little further. After all, she "practices law as a partner at Aird & Berlis LLP, where she also serves as Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and leads the firm's Mental Health Initiative. Under her leadership, Aird & Berlis was named the Outstanding Canadian Firm of the Year at the 2022 Chambers Diversity & Inclusion: North America Awards", so it certainly seems like Ms. Skinner is in a position to make changes for the better based on her roles at her law firm.

Maybe a statement from Ms. Skinner will help to ease concerns about very little being done at the executive level of Hockey Canada.

"As a Board we are listening to Canadians," Ms. Skinner stated. "We are working to make meaningful positive changes to the culture of the sport of hockey. I am proud of my lifelong commitment to hockey and am honoured to serve Hockey Canada as Chair of the Board; a Board that includes men and women with a diversity of age and life experiences, and one that represents different ethnic and cultural communities, including Indigenous Canadians, and the LGBT2Q+ community.

"I sincerely believe the organization is taking positive steps to effect meaningful change from the grassroots to high-performance national team level."

That sounds like a very prepared statement about something she has stength in - diversity and inclusion - and not a statement about "meaningful positive changes" which is what the Canadian government, Hockey Canada sponsors and partners, and Canadian public demanded. This isn't hard - do SOMETHING to make the game better rather than just promising you will.

There has been a very clear message sent to Hockey Canada since the allegations of the 2018 team broke, were compounded by Hockey Canada executives sitting in front of House Commons members, and made worse by the 2003 allegations that have now surfaced. At some point, someone needs to be made accountable, whether on one's own accord or by force, for what happened at Canada's hockey governing body. Until that happens, I'm not sure anyone will feel better about Hockey Canada's handling of these allegation or ant other allegations moving forward.

Today is Day One for Andrea Skinner sitting in the big chair at Hockey Canada. If she's going to make "meaningful positive changes" to restore faith in Canada's hockey governing body, it starts by asking the hard questions and making hard decisions. I'll give her until November 2022 to ask those questions and make those decisions, but time is already ticking on a game that desperately needs fixing.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!