Hockey Canada's toxic secrecy has come to light

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The start of a new NHL season is bringing excitement and optimism to Canadian hockey fans this week. Connor McDavid's hat trick in Edmonton and the Habs' dramatic win over the Leafs in Montreal last night were two quick examples of the joy the pro game can deliver. Meanwhile, boys and girls around the country are getting back on the ice and reuniting with friends on their own teams. Hockey is back. And it feels good. At the same time, the darker side of the nation's favourite sport has been painfully visible this week as well. On Tuesday, Hockey Canada announced that CEO Scott Smith and its entire board of directors would step down, finally capitulating to months of pressure from sponsors, politicians and the public. The angry calls for the national governing body to clean house stemmed from its controversial handling of a young woman's $3.5-million lawsuit alleging a 2018 group sexual assault involving players from Canada's world junior championship team. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reflected the country's frustration with the organization's leadership when he said last week: "If these individuals continue to be deluded enough to think there is a pathway forward for them to continue to run Hockey Canada, then Canadians will have no choice but look for another structure to run our national winter sport."

WATCH | Hockey Canada board, CEO resign amid pressure:

The main cause of Canadians' outrage toward Hockey Canada is its use of an opaque reserve fund — funded partly by kids' registration fees — to settle that lawsuit and others where Hockey Canada either couldn't or