After three months spent leading Hockey Canada, there was controversy and calls for a change in the main leadership, as the current CEO Scott Smith would step down "immediately." Additionally, the entire Hockey Canada Board of Directors agreed to resign, "recognizing the urgent need for new leadership and perspectives." In a statement announcing the leadership team changes, Hockey Canada said that a "temporary management committee" would be established to guide the organization until the next board appoints a new CEO, as Smith had been leading the organization since July 1. A completely new board is expected to be appointed "no later than" the recently postponed election now set for December 17, where the organization called on candidates to "shape the future" of Hockey Canada. In June, the federal government froze its funding for Hockey Canada and ordered a financial audit, as that month federal politicians began examining Hockey Canada's handling of alleged sexual assaults and paying lawsuit settlements. It was later revealed by The Canadian Press in July that the organization's "National Equity Fund," partially supported by minor hockey registration fees, was used to pay "uninsured liabilities," such as sexual assault lawsuits, a practice the organization later confirmed it had stopped.