With government funding restored, next step for Hockey Canada is rebuilding trust

Hockey Canada did just enough to provisionally regain its funding. But rebuilding the trust it once had with major sponsors will be another challenge in itself, suggests a marketing expert.

The national sporting body was granted its funding from the federal government on Sunday after having it frozen on June 22, 2022 by sport minister Pascale St-Onge. Hockey Canada could face a scenario where companies that suspended or halted their sponsorship may have conditions too.

"The first signal [companies are] looking for [is] government, new people, new accountability and transparency actions. But I'm going to say, the toughest thing to rebuild is trust," Dr. Joanne McNeish, a marketing management professor at Toronto Metropolitan University told The Canadian Press. "And trust once broken, it is never going to be the same.

"... That means guarantees, the money provided will come with strings around transparency. The corporate for-profit brands and sponsors will be much more cautious in sort of the freedom with which they gave the money.

"In other words, maybe before, the details weren't just spelled out. So it's additional legal and contractual obligations, which is costly for a non-profit."

WATCH | Government provisionally restores funding:

The lost sponsorship dollars — which was reported last year to be $23.5 million — and loss of funding was a result of the revelation last May that a woman alleged she was sexually assaulted by eight players — including members of the 2018 world junior team — following a foundation gala in London, Ont. in June 2018.

Hockey Canada and the woman quietly settled a $3.55 million lawsuit out of court.

Although Hockey Canada has since brought in new leadership and met the conditions to have