A former Supreme Court justice recommended wholesale change at Hockey Canada on Thanksgiving Monday; a day before the embattled sports organization’s president / CEO and board resigned.

 

Hockey Canada released a memo from justice Thomas Cromwell today alongside his interim report reviewing the organization’s governance.

The memo, dated Monday, says ”there can be no serious debate” Hockey Canada’s leadership had lost the confidence of important stakeholders and that calls for a change needed to be answered.

Cromwell recommended that Hockey Canada put in place a board and a board chair who agree to serve for only one year as a transition board.

The transition board will be responsible for addressing ”the many public concerns about the senior management team of the organization.”

Hockey Canada announced Tuesday that president and CEO Scott Smith had departed, and the entire board of directors had resigned.

Cromwell was tasked in August with undertaking a full governance review of Hockey Canada after it was revealed that the organization reached an undisclosed settlement with a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by eight players, including members of the country’s 2018 world junior team.