May 20, 2018
In conjunction with its 40th anniversary, the CCAA established a hall of fame to honour athletes, coaches and builders/contributors. In the three most recent induction classes, all inductees have a background with institutions that are currently participating in the CCAA.
The selection criteria state that all nominees "must have a CCAA institution in good standing support their nomination". Of the 35 institutions to compete in CCAA Hockey National Championships, 14 from six provinces (or 40 per cent) are no longer participating in the CCAA. The list includes four institutions that won a total of eight national titles.
The selection process declares that preference "shall be given to nominees who have a geographic proximity to the location of the induction banquet. For example, if the induction banquet is being hosted by the RSEQ, a nominee from the RSEQ would have priority over a nominee from other conferences." The induction banquet is rotated among the five current conferences. As a result, potential inductees from conferences that severed ties with the CCAA are at a greater disadvantage.
The induction directives indicating that "all institutions nominating an inductee(s) must take out a $250 ad in the CCAA Hall of Fame souvenir program" and that "all conferences supporting nomination(s) must take out a $250 ad in CCAA Hall of Fame souvenir program" also tilts the scales.
As of now, three hockey coaches and many more hockey players that meet eligibility criteria have ties to post-secondary institutions that are no longer participating in the CCAA. Until the CCAA creates a level playing field for potential inductees who have ties to institutions (and conferences) that are no longer affiliated with the post-secondary sport governing body, questions will continue to be raised about the integrity of the CCAA Hall of Fame.