Superstitions have a role in helping hockey fans and players feel more in control of the game.
Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares celebrates his game-winning goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs on April 29 in Tampa, Fla. It’s the Leafs first playoff series win since 2004.
(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Why do many Canadian hockey fans feel the urge to support teams they would ordinarily delight in rooting against?
USA players pose for photos after winning gold at the IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship in Brampton, Ont. on April 16, 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
The presence of women and girls was on display in all aspects of the tournament and the fresh air of empowerment could signal a new dawn for women’s and girls’ hockey.
Efforts are underway to clean up sport in Canada, but if sporting bodies and athletes want to prevent abuse from occurring, we must re-engineer the structures, policies and practices that lead to abuse in the first place.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Athletes often recount how, at the very least, sport built their character and at the very most, saved their lives. But currently, Canadian sport itself needs rebuilding.
A Hockey Canada document is reviewed by a member of Parliament during a House of Commons Committee on Canadian Heritage looking into safe sport in Canada on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 4, 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Transparency in financial disclosure is a crucial part of ethical, responsible governance. Unless Hockey Canada prioritizes financial transparency, any attempts at reform will fall short.
Culture change is more multifaceted than recent conversations about Hockey Canada might suggest. It’s a complex process, not a readily packaged product or an easily revised strategic plan.
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There have been calls for a culture change at Hockey Canada in the wake of sexual abuse allegations. But what does that mean? And how do organizations change their culture?
In the wake of sexual abuse allegations, Hockey Canada acknowledged it failed to “end the culture of toxic behavior” but grossly misunderstood and miscalculated the depth and breadth of the problem.
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Sexual abuse allegations in Canadian hockey reveal the toxic masculinity that has permeated across sport culture.
The Canadian women’s hockey team has received little financial support from Hockey Canada despite winning several international competitions.
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Canadian women’s and para hockey have long been woefully underfunded. Management changes at Hockey Canada are an opportunity to correct the unequal way the game is supported.
Team Canada’s Paul Henderson shoots on Team U.S.S.R.’s Vladislav Tretiak while Gannady Tsygankov defends during the 1972 Summit tournament in Toronto on Sept. 4, 1972.
The Canadian Press/Peter Bregg
Fifty years later, the Summit Series still occupies a heightened role in the Canadian cultural consciousness.
There’s a void of responsible leadership at Hockey Canada and other scandal-plagued organizations. Governments can’t fix those systemic problems.
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Eric Champagne, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa and Alex Beraskow, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Good board governance starts with understanding the mandate and role of the board and then follows through with structure, robust processes and practices.
Parliamentary hearings into Hockey Canada’s handling of sexual assault allegations against the 2018 world junior team left more questions than answers.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Hockey Canada has fallen short of its mission to ‘Lead, Develop and Promote Positive Hockey Experiences’ in its handling of sexual violence perpetrated by and against Hockey Canada players.
Eight members of the 2018 national junior team have been accused of sexual assault.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Blinch
Is Hockey Canada sincere in their quest for reform? Or has a freeze on federal funding and an exodus of major sponsors forced their hand?
People have come forward in highly publicized stories speaking to experiences of sexism, sexual violence and silencing at the hands of hockey players and teams.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
We need to question how gender is understood, constructed and performed by hockey players, teams, coaches and organizations to truly change the culture.
Team Canada celebrates their gold medal win after defeating the United States at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
True gender equity in sport is not simply a matter of paying lip service to equal rights and opportunities. It involves interrogating outdated assumptions and being open to rewriting the rule book.
The Chicago Blackhawks are currently being sued by a former player who is accusing an assistant coach of sexual assault in 2010, at the time the team largely ignored the allegations.
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Incidents of sexual misconduct, and how they have been handled, highlight the lack of accountability in professional sports, and the problems that this situation creates.
Canada’s Sarah Fillier celebrates her goal during overtime play of a women’s hockey game against the United States in a pre-Olympic Games series in October 2021.
(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
The audience for women’s professional hockey is waiting to be recognized and realized by the same energy and commitment broadcasters devote to men’s hockey.
Montreal Canadiens fans cheer during game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, in Montreal on July 5, 2021.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
The ongoing influence of rape culture in men’s hockey prompts a contentious discussion about whether — and when — athletes involved in sex offences deserve a second chance from teams and fans.
A new study shows helping strangers is part of ice skating.
(Sunyu Kim/Unsplash)
Canadians love hockey and many play the sport well into their senior years. A researcher who spent time with a Silver Skaters league found their unique love of the game could help younger players.
Rule changes, training strategies and equipment recommendations can help protect youth athletes from concussion.
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Every year, about 10 per cent of youth athletes experience a concussion. Research shows there are steps we can take to help prevent these injuries, but we can’t be afraid to make changes.