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Hockey Canada board backs president/CEO Scott Smith amid calls for change – CBC Sports

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Hockey Canada’s board of directors says it is supporting president and chief executive officer Scott Smith and his executive team amid calls for leadership change at the organization.

Interim board chair Andrea Skinner announced the backing of the organization’s executive in a statement posted Monday on its website.

The statement did not detail a reason for the show of support, but said the board is is undertaking “ongoing efforts to restore the trust of Canadians in hockey and Hockey Canada,” which include a governance review.

Canada’s governing body of hockey is under intense scrutiny for its handling of sexual assault allegations against members of previous men’s junior teams.

The federal government froze Hockey Canada’s funding after it was revealed the organization had quietly settled a lawsuit with a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by members of the 2018 men’s junior team at Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont., that year.

Several of Hockey Canada’s corporate partners suspended their support of Hockey Canada after executives were grilled by MPs during a Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage meeting about the organization’s response to the alleged assault. The results were evident at the world junior championship earlier this month in Edmonton, where the ice and boards at Rogers Place were almost completely free of advertising.

Hockey Canada later said members of the 2003 junior team are under investigation for alleged sexual assault in Nova Scotia.

WATCH | Disturbing details emerge:

Man speaks out about alleged sexual assault involving members of 2003 World Juniors hockey team

6 days ago
Duration 3:05

Warning: This story contains sexually graphic details that may be disturbing to readers Disturbing details have emerged about an alleged group sexual assault by some members of Canada’s 2003 World Juniors hockey team. A man who recently gave Halifax police the names of two players who may have been involved says he saw a recording nearly 20 years ago of the alleged incident.

Sheldon Kennedy, an advocate for sexual abuse survivors and one of the victims of serial abuser Graham James, has called on Hockey Canada’s leadership to resign. There has been cross-partisan support for that sentiment from MPs on the heritage committee, which has twice heard testimony from Smith and other executives on their handling of the allegations.

So far, the only change at the top has been the resignation of previous board chair Michael Brind’Amour, who stepped down Aug. 6 before his term was set to end in November.

‘Sport cannot self-regulate’

Rob Koehler, the director general of Global Athlete, an international athlete-led movement founded to address the balance of power between athletes and administrators, said he wasn’t surprised the board is publicly supporting Smith.

“Anyone in Canadian sport knows that the well-paid national sport organization CEOs wield the majority of the power over volunteer boards. Ms. Skinner’s statement is akin to the fox guarding the henhouse,” Koehler said.

“Sport cannot self-regulate. Sport, like every industry, needs oversight, accountability and transparency. Sport has none of these. Until the Canadian government demands these principles, sports will continue to be a breeding ground for abuse.”

The scrutiny on Hockey Canada tightened when it was revealed that the organization used its multimillion-dollar National Equity Fund, which comes from player fees, for uninsured payments including the settlement of sexual abuse claims.

Hockey Canada said at a heritage committee hearing on July 27 that it has paid out $7.6 million in nine settlements concerning sexual assault and sexual abuse claims since 1989, with $6.8 million of that related to serial abuser Graham James.

LISTEN | Pascale St-Onge responds to ongoing Hockey Canada crisis:

CBC News: The House11:35Sport Minister responds to Hockey Canada crisis

Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge talks to guest host Ashley Burke about her reaction to the latest allegations of sexual assault by junior hockey players and the mounting calls for Hockey Canada’s leadership to resign.

The organization has said since that the fund will no longer be used to settle sexual assault settlements.

Conservative John Nater, Liberal Anthony Housefather and New Democrat Peter Julian have been among the MPs calling for a change in leadership at Hockey Canada.

“I think it’s fair to say that Hockey Canada simply has not stepped up. … Canadians have been let down,” Julian said at the July 27 committee hearing.

“There needs to be a bigger cultural change in Hockey Canada than you’re currently promising,” Housefather said.

Smith has said he believes he is “the right person” to lead Hockey Canada but said he would respect the findings of the governance review.

The review, led by former Supreme Court judge Thomas Cromwell, is expected to provide interim recommendations before Hockey Canada’s annual general meeting in November.

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Whitecaps, Timbers to face off in play-in match in Portland

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VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps will begin their post-season campaign with a play-in game against the Timbers in Portland on Wednesday.

The ‘Caps (13-13-8) ended the regular season with a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake on Saturday and finished eighth in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference standings.

The eighth and ninth spots from each conference meet in a play-in game this week, with the winner going on to face the No. 1 seed in the first round of the playoffs.

Each eighth-place team was set to host the play-in game, but Vancouver announced Friday that its home stadium, B.C. Place, is not available, so the club will cede home-field advantage to Portland (12-11-11), the ninth-place team.

The ‘Caps and Timbers split their three-game series during regular-season play, with each side taking a win, a loss and a draw.

The first round of the MLS playoffs is set to begin next weekend.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2024.

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Real Salt Lake beats visiting Whitecaps 2-1 to set single-season club record for points

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SANDY, Utah (AP) — Diego Luna scored a tying goal in the 73rd minute and Real Salt Lake added another on an own goal for a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night to set a single-season club record for points.

Real Salt Lake (16-7-11) secured the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference and will face Minnesota in the first round of the Major League Soccer playoffs. RSL reached 59 points this season, topping the 2012 team with 57.

Vancouver (13-13-8) will play the Portland Timbers on Wednesday in a wild-card game for a chance to play top-seeded LAFC.

Luna settled a long cross from Braian Ojeda before taking four touches to slot home a shot inside the far post for his eighth goal of the season.

RSL went ahead in the 83rd when Vancouver goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer misplayed a lofted ball that rolled into the back of the net.

Vancouver midfielder Ryan Gauld opened the scoring in the 58th to become the first player in club history to produce multiple seasons with at least 10 goals and 10 assists.

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Juan Soto’s 3-run homer in 10th sends Yankees past Guardians 5-2 and into World Series for 41st time

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Juan Soto’s arrival last winter was supposed to be that move that pushed the New York Yankees back to the top.

They’re one step away.

Soto hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and the Yankees advanced to their 41st World Series — and first in 15 years — by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series on Saturday night.

Baseball’s biggest brand is going back to October’s main stage.

Soto, who was acquired in a seven-player trade from San Diego in December, pushed the Bronx Bombers into position with one big swing.

This was why he came, for this moment and for so many more.

“We’re right where we belong,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who pulled off the deal for Soto.

The Yankees will try to win their 28th title against either the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 6 of the NL Championship Series is on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

In the third consecutive tight game in three nights at Progressive Field, Austin Wells walked with one out in the 10th and Alex Verdugo followed with a grounder to Guardians second baseman Andrés Giménez, whose soft toss to the bag was dropped by rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio for an error.

Hunter Gaddis struck out Gleyber Torres and had Soto in a 1-2 count before New York’s stylish outfielder sent a shot over the wall in center. Soto danced down the first-base line and paused to celebrate with his teammates before circling the bases.

“I was just saying to myself, `You’re all over that guy. You’re all over that guy. He ain’t got anything,’” said Soto, who moved alongside his manager, Aaron Boone, as the only New York players to homer in an extra-inning, series-clinching win.

Luke Weaver got the final three outs with Lane Thomas flying out for the last one, which was caught by Soto.

“We get to play for a world championship,” Boone said. “That’s pretty sweet.”

The 25-year-old Soto is eligible for free agency this winter, and Yankees fans chanted “Re-sign Soto!” during the postgame festivities. He’s expected to get a contract upwards of $600 million, and his heroics in Game 5 may have raised his price.

Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer and was named ALCS MVP as the Yankees took care of the Guardians in five games. It wasn’t easy.

New York won the first two at Yankee Stadium without much fanfare or any major drama. However, it was a different story in Cleveland as all three games at Progressive Field were nail-biters.

The Guardians rallied to win Game 3 on two, two-run homers in their last two at-bats, and the Yankees held on to win Game 4 after blowing a four-run lead.

“This was a rollercoaster and we were able to just keep punching back,” Stanton said. “We know there’s much more work to do and it’s only uphill from here and we got to get it done.”

Cleveland just didn’t have enough and a surprising season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt ended just short of a World Series. The franchise remains without a title since 1948, baseball’s current longest drought.

“There’s only one team that gets to win the last game of the year, and unfortunately it’s not going to be us,” Vogt said. “But we accomplished a lot as a group. We got better. We worked extremely hard. I couldn’t be more proud of this group. We just didn’t get quite as far as we wanted to.”

The Yankees are back in the World Series, back where their fans expect them to be every year.

The club’s 82-80, fourth-place finish in the AL East last season led to some “soul searching as an organization” during the winter, according to Boone, who has been widely criticized but is one of just three managers to take New York to playoffs in six of his first seven seasons.

While the team’s core stayed mostly intact, getting Soto in a blockbuster trade on Dec. 7 — New York sent five players to San Diego for the three-time All-Star — accelerated the team returning to title contender.

“That was a good day,” Boone said with a laugh before the game.

Stanton’s 446-foot rocket into the left-field bleachers tied it at 2 in the sixth and chased Tanner Bibee, who had struck out New York’s dangerous DH in his first two at-bats and held the Yankees scoreless for the first five innings.

It was Stanton’s fourth homer in this series — his third in three days — and his 16th in the postseason, moving him into fourth place on the club’s career list behind Bernie Williams (22), Derek Jeter (20) and Mickey Mantle (18).

Before the game, Boone was asked what makes Stanton so good.

“He can hit it harder than anyone, first of all,” Boone said. “So there’s the physical nature of what he does that’s different than just about everyone in the world.”

But Boone went on to compliment Stanton’s discipline at the plate, “his approach, his process, how he studies guys.”

“There’s something that he does when he gets familiarity with people on top of being very physically gifted,” Boone said.

The Guardians took a 2-0 lead in the fifth off Carlos Rodón on Steven Kwan’s RBI single with two outs. But Cleveland missed a big chance for more, leaving the bases loaded when Lane Thomas grounded out on the first pitch to him from Mark Leiter Jr.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (elbow strain) had another successful live batting practice session. The reliever remains on track to join the Yankees on their World Series roster. Boone said Cortes would throw again early next week. Cortes went 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 30 starts.

___

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