(Toronto) Two sponsors who withdrew their support from Hockey Canada following a scandal that rocked the organization that oversees hockey in the country last year, indicated that they had renewed their commercial agreement.
The Tim Hortons restaurant chain as well as the telecommunications giant Telus Corp. have re-established their partnership with Hockey Canada. This was interrupted after the organization was accused of ignoring complaints of sexual assault.
Tim Hortons spokesperson Michael Oliveira noted that the restaurant chain has already been clear in stating that it will only restore its funding for the men’s national teams once they have regained the trust of Canadians.
He added that Tim Hortons has reinstated its support because it appears Hockey Canada has made concrete progress toward achieving this, including making numerous changes to its leadership.
For her part, Telus spokesperson Saara Rahikka said the telecommunications giant had renewed its commercial ties with Hockey Canada because it wanted to encourage changes to make the sport safer and more inclusive for all, on the rink and outside of it.
The support from Tim Hortons and Telus comes ahead of the World Junior Hockey Championship, which will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden, starting December 26.
