8 major sponsors cut ties with Hockey Canada.

A major scandal that has shaken Hockey Canada to its very foundations has left very real questions to be asked about the future of the organization, a future that looks more and more bleak with every passing day and each and every time someone else abandons what appears to be a rapidly sinking ship.

Over the course of the last few months Hockey Canada has seen a number of its most important partners distance themselves from their brand, with perhaps the biggest hit coming over the course of the last several days. The apparent lack of action and accountability taken over the recent sexual assault allegations brought forward by a number of alleged victims, at least from the public's perspective, has led to several major sponsors putting even more distance between themselves and Hockey Canada.

In total 8 major sponsors have cut their ties with the once proud but now largely disgraced organization, adding even more pressure on both Hockey Canada and Canada's federal government to make major changes at all levels of Hockey Canada or possibly even disband the organization entirely. Over the course of the last week alone Hockey Canada has seen major sponsors flee in droves, with the tide starting on Wednesday when Canadian brands Tim Hortons and Telus both issued statements indicating that they would be halting their relationship with Hockey Canada. That bad news was quickly followed up with more the following day when Esso, Canadian Tire and Chevrolet Canada all announced similar decision regarding their sponsorship agreements with Hockey Canada.  Perhaps the biggest blow though would come when shoe manufacturing giant Nike, a truly global brand, issued a statement indicating they would also be pausing their support of Hockey Canada.

“We’re deeply concerned by the ongoing reports around Hockey Canada,” wrote spokesperson Sandra Carreon-John in a statement as per The Globe and Mail.

“We’ll continue to monitor the situation and await more information regarding Hockey Canada’s actions to address the findings in these investigations and create a safe environment for all athletes,” she wrote.

Sobey's announced this week that they had ended their relationship with Hockey Canada back in June, similar to the move made by Bank of Nova Scotia who paused their partnership in June... a pause that was also extended this week as a result of Hockey Canada's poor response to the scandal.

This issue has reached the highest levels of government in Canada, with even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commenting this week on how disappointed he is with how the entire situation has been handled and even suggesting that a wholesale change may be needed.

Unfortunately for many Canadian hockey fans and many young Canadians who rely on the services provided by Hockey Canada to play the game, this story appears to be far from its conclusion.