Hockey Canada top bosses quit amid sexual assault scandal

Hockey Canada's entire board of directors and its CEO have quit amid criticism over how they handled sexual assault allegations.

The ice hockey organisation announced the resignations on Tuesday, after major sponsors pulled out last week.

It has been under the spotlight since it was revealed last summer they paid millions in sexual assault settlements.

In a statement, the organisation agreed to "the urgent need for new leadership and perspectives".

Hockey Canada manages programmes and teams in the country from entry-level all the way to world championships and the Olympic Games.

Earlier this year, they confirmed they had paid almost C$9m ($6.5m; £5.8m) in 21 settlements for sex assault complaints against its players since 1989. The Globe and Mail reported that these settlements were paid with player registration fees the organisation collects from parents and youth across the country.

The revelations have rocked the country, where ice hockey is viewed as a national pastime and playing in a league is viewed by many as a rite of passage for young children.

But when they appeared before a parliamentary committee earlier this month, they failed to impress lawmakers, who had called for a changing of the guard in order to restore public trust in the organisation, which receives public funds as well as private money from sponsors.

Interim board chair Andrea Skinner told the committee that it would harm the sport if the CEO were to quit. "Will the lights stay on at the rink? I don't know. We can't predict that. To me, it's not a risk worth taking."

That sparked outrage from lawmakers, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who said it "boggles the mind".

It also caused a mass exodus of the sport's top sponsors, including Tim Hortons, Bankscotia and Canadian Tire, a national retail chain.

Ms Skinner resigned over the weekend, and is now followed by CEO Scott Smith and the rest of the board of directors.