Hockey Canada chair looks back, sees brighter days ahead: ‘The game was in trouble’

That’s why he put his hand up when the national organization was at its scandal-plagued low point. And why he wants to continue the work.

“Didn’t really know what we were getting into,” Goldbloom said of being named to the transitionary board of directors in November 2022. “What united us was an understanding that hockey mattered and the game was in trouble.”

After a year working to implement many of the recommendations contained in a scathing report by former Supreme Court judge Thomas Cromwell on Hockey Canada’s governance, transparency and oversight, Goldbloom now heads the diverse, nine-member board after former chair Hugh Fraser stepped aside last month.

“A willingness of all key players to take on issues,” Goldbloom, who runs a Montreal communications firm that often deals with crises, said of what he initially found. “But clearly Hockey Canada was in a challenging position.”

That position came about in stunning fashion when it was revealed in May 2022 the organization quietly settled a lawsuit after a woman claimed she was sexually assaulted by eight players, including members of Canada’s world junior team, following a 2018 gala in London, Ont.

The fallout was swift.

Government and corporate money evaporated, and a string of ugly headlines continued throughout the spring, summer and fall as Hockey Canada’s now-former leadership bumbled its way through the mess.

London police reopened their investigation into the alleged 2018 incident, while the NHL’s own probe continues. Hockey Canada said last month the findings of its independent third-party report are under appeal. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Goldbloom said Hockey Canada should have been upfront from the beginning.

“Much easier for a new board because we’ve got a clean slate,” he said. “But if you look back on what we were doing, we probably should have been straighter with Canadians.”

With Fraser at the helm, Hockey Canada got the government back onside. Most corporate partners followed.

“That started us on the path to restoring confidence,” said Goldbloom, who will serve a three-year term. “Still have work to do. I don’t want to underestimate that.”

Fraser’s work, he added, was crucial in getting things pointed in the right direction.

“A dignified leader,” Goldbloom said of the retired judge. “Delegate, keep a watchful eye and be involved, but let others take the lead and be project champions.”

One of Goldbloom’s tasks was heading the search committee for a new president and CEO, which led to the hiring of Curling Canada executive Katherine Henderson.

The Cromwell report called for Hockey Canada’s initial transitionary board to be completely turned over last month, but Goldbloom felt it was important to have some continuity, especially with new corporate leadership.

He’s also confident the organization got it right with Henderson.

“She came from curling and had proven she could change the culture,” Goldbloom said. “The right values we need to personify — openness, transparency and professionalism.”

That openness includes sharing data on maltreatment in the sport. Hockey Canada released a report last month that showed the under-15 and under-18 age groups are where the overwhelming majority of bullying and harassment takes place.

“People are more willing to come forward,” Goldbloom said. “We’ve got work to do. We have to be consistent, vocal and put the proper training in.”

He added the organization remains at a financial deficit because of the scandals and losses suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, but believes brighter days are ahead.

“There’s goodwill out there,” Goldbloom said. “The world juniors in Halifax, even in the middle of the crisis, had great TV ratings.

“There’s a desire for us to turn the corner.”

He also understands it will be difficult for Hockey Canada to truly do so with the London incident still unresolved.

“Would be great to have closure,” Goldbloom said. “It’s in most articles dealing with Hockey Canada. It would be to our advantage to have this finalized, but we have to go through due process.”

Hockey Canada’s new board chair has a vision for the organization’s future. The diehard Canadiens fan is confident it will get there.

“The standard for sports organizations across Canada, and perhaps internationally,” he said. “That we reflect the values of Canadians. That we are an open game where women and girls are playing, where new Canadians are playing, where young boys are continuing to play into their beer league days — like me — and that we maintain our high-performance programs.

“We want to become the model sports organization.”

That work continues.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2023.

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Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Hockey Canada chair looks back, sees brighter days ahead: ‘The game was in trouble’

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