Interim board chair Andrea Skinner, CEO Scott Smith and the entire board of directors stepped down from Hockey Canada governance

Content warning: This story contains mention of sexual assault.

The GIST: Yesterday marked the first North American puck drop of the new NHL season, but the biggest news is coming off the ice, where hockey culture is revealing itself once again. *sigh*

Hockey Canada: Fallout from the organization’s mishandling of sexual assault allegationscontinued when, amid sponsor calls for a complete organizational overhaul, interim board chair Andrea Skinner, CEO Scott Smith and the entire board of directors stepped down from Hockey Canada governance. Finally.

• The work, however, is far from done. Companies including Nike, Canadian Tire and Bauer Hockey suspended their commitments to men’s hockey over the long weekend, and won’t return until they see policy and strategic changes from the new board, who will be named on December 17th. Cheers to change.

Ian Cole: Over in the NHL, the Tampa Bay Lightning suspended defenseman Ian Cole ahead of yesterday’s season-opener after an anonymous Twitter user came forward with allegations of grooming and sexual assault against him.

• The quick action is a welcome change and a sign of hope for actual accountability as the league begins their investigation. The ice has never been thinner.