The governing body acknowledged that the previous trial was “less than perfect” and did not produce sufficient results following the alleged attack on a woman in 2018 by several members of a youth team in London, Ontario.
Hockey Canada says all members of the 2018 team will be required to participate in a new investigation or they will be “immediately banned from all Hockey Canada events and programs.”
The investigation comes two months after Canadian broadcaster TSN reported that the lawsuit against Hockey Canada, the players and the Canadian Hockey League was dropped by the woman following a settlement.
In May, the National Hockey League acknowledged the case, saying it was “notified of a lawsuit involving sexual allegations filed against eight unnamed members of Canada’s 2018 youth hockey team.” The League called the accusations “disgusting and reprehensible”.
In June, the Canadian government announced that it was freezing federal government funding for Hockey Canada until the organization provides the full results of the initial investigation and plans to make changes to Hockey Canada. Canada’s sports minister, Pascal Saint-Onge, said: “This is about changing a deeply rooted culture, not just temporary solutions.”
In an open letter on Thursday, Hockey Canada acknowledged that it has failed to “end the culture of toxic behavior in our game” and the organization itself will be subject to an external review.
