Tim Hortons pulls sponsorship of men's programming in wake of Hockey Canada scandal

Tim Hortons is pulling its sponsorship of all of Hockey Canada's men's hockey programming for the 2022-23 season, including the men's world junior championships, in the wake of an ongoing scandal and demands for a change in the body's leadership.

In a statement, the company — which first suspended its sponsorship in June — said it has "communicated to Hockey Canada on many occasions that the organization needs to take strong and definitive action" in order to regain the faith and trust of Canadians.

"We're deeply disappointed in the lack of progress that Hockey Canada has made to date," it said. 

The move is the latest reaction to how the hockey organization has responded to accusations it mishandled allegations of gang rapes involving its players. 

Two recent allegations involve players from the 2018 and 2003 Canadian junior men's teams. Those allegations have not been tested in court.

Hockey Canada has confirmed it paid out $8.9 million in settlements to 21 complainants with sexual misconduct claims against its players since 1989.

CBC's The Fifth Estate identified at least 15 cases of alleged group sexual assault involving junior hockey players that have been investigated by police since 1989 — half of which surfaced in the past decade, through a review of public records.

Following Tim Hortons's move, Hockey Canada said in a statement that it "continues to have discussions with its corporate partners on the organization's … steps being taken to foster a safe and positive environment for all participants on and off the ice."

On Tuesday, interim board chair Andrea Skinner defended Hockey Canada before a parliamentary committee, saying it has an "excellent reputation" and arguing against scapegoating "hockey as a