Hockey Canada held its second Beyond the Boards summit in Ottawa on November 14 and 15, 2024, bringing together more than 120 participants to examine gender-based violence, sexism, homophobia and transphobia in hockey. The meeting formed part of a broader response to failures of trust and safety within the sport.
External voices led the programme
Subject-matter specialists and people with lived experience led presentations and reflective panels. The agenda included sessions on sexism and gender-based violence, homophobia and transphobia, and the consequences that unhealthy environments create for players and communities.
Workshops facilitated by organizations including Égaux sans Égo and White Ribbon were intended to move participants from general discussion toward practical commitments.
The summit followed a first meeting in Calgary
Hockey Canada launched Beyond the Boards in 2023 as one element of its culture-change work. The second event sought to deepen the discussion by focusing on harms that can be normalized through locker-room behaviour, leadership silence or weak complaint systems.
More than 120 people from hockey and the wider sport system attended the Ottawa session. Representation matters, but attendance alone cannot show whether affected communities held real influence over decisions.
Public pressure shaped the context
The organization had faced intense scrutiny over its handling of a 2018 allegation involving members of Canada’s world junior team, its settlement practices and the use of registration fees. Parliamentary hearings, sponsor withdrawals and leadership changes followed.
Five former players were criminally charged in 2024 and pleaded not guilty. Their court case was separate from the institutional question of whether hockey organizations had safe, transparent systems for preventing and responding to misconduct.
The criminal case later ended in acquittals
In July 2025, an Ontario Superior Court judge acquitted all five defendants after finding that the prosecution had not proved the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. An acquittal is the operative legal outcome and must be stated clearly.
That verdict did not eliminate the need for general safeguarding reform. Policies governing consent education, reporting, retaliation, alcohol, travel and institutional accountability apply across the sport regardless of the outcome of one prosecution.
Culture change requires more than awareness
A summit can introduce language and testimony that organizations previously avoided, but participants experience change only when standards influence selection, coaching, discipline, funding and leadership evaluation.
Measurable commitments might include independent complaint channels, published processing times, protection from retaliation, trauma-informed support and public reporting that does not expose complainants.
Inclusion has operational consequences
Homophobia and transphobia can push athletes out long before an incident reaches a formal complaint. Sexist assumptions can affect ice time, facilities, staffing, media exposure and whose concerns adults consider credible.
Training is most effective when reinforced by consistent consequences and accessible reporting. A one-time presentation cannot compensate for leaders who reward harmful conduct or discourage disclosure.
Independence strengthens accountability
People may hesitate to report when the same organization promoting the sport controls investigation, discipline and reputation management. Independent processes can reduce conflicts of interest, although they still require transparency, expertise and procedural fairness.
Due process and survivor-centred practice are not opposites. A fair system can take reports seriously, protect privacy, gather evidence impartially and avoid declaring guilt before a finding.
The test comes after the meeting
Hockey Canada described the summit as a priority in building a healthier game. Its annual reporting later confirmed that the event occurred, but credibility depends on publishing what changed, who is responsible and how progress is measured.
Beyond the Boards created a forum for difficult testimony and expert guidance. The enduring task is to translate that work into safer local teams, trusted complaint mechanisms and leadership consequences—results that players and families can observe without having to rely on an organization’s promise that culture is improving.
