The same goes for Nathan MacKinnon. And like the rest of the country, the two stars have watched from afar a summer of scandal for Hockey Canada — the sport’s national governing body — after news broke of an alleged sexual assault involving members of the 2018 world junior team. “I’m very proud to be Canadian, very proud to represent Hockey Canada,” McDavid, the Edmonton Oilers captain, said Thursday at the NHL/NHLPA players’ tour just outside Las Vegas. “A situation that is terrible for everyone.” Editor’s Note: The following story deals with sexual assault and may be disturbing to some readers. If you or someone you know needs support, those in Canada can find province-specific centres, crisis lines and services here. For readers in America, a list of resources and references for survivors and their loved ones can be found here. Hockey Canada has been under intense scrutiny since the alleged sexual assault following a 2018 gala in London, Ont., involving eight unidentified players — including members of that year’s world junior team — and the subsequent hush-hush settlement was revealed in May . Then in July allegations of gang sexual assault involving the 2003 world junior team emerged. None of the allegations have been proven in court. “It’s sad,” said MacKinnon, who won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in June. “There is no room for that. “I don’t know all the details of the investigation, but what happened was not okay — that’s the main thing.” It was also revealed that Hockey Canada maintained a so-called National Equity Fund held by player registrations from across the country to pay, in part, uninsured liabilities, including sexual abuse claims, since the 1990s. The agency said it would no longer use the fund for that purpose. Hockey Canada had cut off federal funding in the wake of its handling of the case and the 2018 settlement, a number of companies cut sponsorship dollars and politicians called for a regime change, including the firing of president and CEO Scott Smith. In response to the storm, the organization released an action plan aimed at addressing systemic issues in hockey and reopened its third-party investigation into the 2018 incident, as did police in London. The NHL is also investigating. Colorado defenseman Cale Makar, who was a member of the 2018 world junior team but previously said he was not involved in the alleged incident, spoke to investigators soon after and will do so again. “I’m completely open to books,” Makar said. “I’ll be ready for anything. Whatever they need, basically, I’ll be there.” The reigning Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top blueliner said he spoke with his parents over the summer about the state of Hockey in Canada, including the National Equity Fund. “You even think about myself coming into hockey,” said the 23-year-old, who also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after helping Colorado to its second title. “My parents talk about all the fees they paid to Hockey Canada and the yanda so I could play, and then for all this stuff to come out, I can only imagine the number of parents who were thinking, ‘Oh, this is where there goes my fees.’ “It’s obviously a very tough show. The identity and the culture definitely needs to change. This is exactly the moment.”
