Is it game over for the Hockey Canada brand? Maybe, say ad experts

As company after company has cancelled sponsorships with Hockey Canada over its mishandling of gang-rape allegations and millions in payouts to complainants with sexual misconduct claims, communications experts are not sure the organization can ever recover with advertisers. 

"This is probably a textbook case of the worst brand crisis that an organization could be in," said Prof. Ann Pegoraro, the Lang Chair in Sport Management at the University of Guelph.   

On Thursday, after weeks of controversy during which sponsors temporarily paused support, Hockey Canada was battered by big-name brands fully backing out of deals with the organization.

Canadian Tire announced it is permanently ending its partnership, while the telecom giant Telus, grocery chain Sobeys and food delivery app Skip the Dishes also pulled the plug on elements of their support. 

In recent days, Tim Horton's, Scotiabank, and Esso parent company Imperial Oil have also cut ties with Hockey Canada.

Meanwhile, the federal government has ratcheted up criticism of the organization, while Hockey Quebec said it will no longer transfer funds to the national body.   

The damage to the brand is adding up so fast that Pegoraro wonders if the very name Hockey Canada could soon be too toxic to be rehabilitated with sponsors.

"I think they have limited time left that they could salvage it and by limited time I mean, days at best, if they don't make wholesale changes." 

Pegoraro believes Hockey Canada's name could still be a positive association for sponsors if it acts fast. 

But, she says, because it hasn't installed new leadership and offered what she sees as a true apology, "they're still sliding down." 

Megan Matthews, a communications strategist and co-founder of Instinct Brand Equity in Toronto says Hockey Canada can't rehab their brand by resisting change. 

"They're digging their heels in, in a way that's almost reinforcing the culture that is bubbling up here. Not looking at a leadership change, not looking at an internal review that they're going to publish the results of," she said.

"I think that they are missing their window of opportunity."

This week, interim board chair Andrea Skinner said Hockey Canada won't be making changes to its management, and told a parliamentary committee that the organization has an "excellent reputation."