Hockey Canada’s official equipment supplier Bauer has announced it will pause its sponsorship of Hockey Canada’s men’s teams.
The company says it’s pausing its role as the official equipment provider to Hockey Canada’s men’s teams and its sponsorship of men’s tournaments.
In a statement, Bauer said Hockey Canada can still buy products for the men’s programs and it will redistribute the profits to “increase accessibility and equity in girl’s, women’s, para hockey and other underrepresented communities.”
Bauer says it will continue to supply equipment to the women’s programs.
“Our goal is to drive meaningful change, not impact athletes,” said the statement from chief executive officer Ed Kinnaly and vice-president Mary-Kay Messier.
“Crisis can create opportunity for meaningful change. Our hope is that collectively we start on a path forward soon and that we can use this to bring a renewed focus back to what’s most important for the game of hockey — creating opportunities for kids and families through the game of hockey.”
Bauer’s move follows similar announcements by sponsors including Nike, Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons and comes after Andrea Skinner resigned as the interim chair of Hockey Canada’s board of directors.
