A Queen’s alumnus who is a retired judge and competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics has been named the new chair of Hockey Canada.
The Honourable Hugh Fraser, Artsci'74, a lawyer who served on the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for seven years, was a judge for nearly three decades before retiring.
The 70-year-old will be tasked with restoring the public’s confidence in the national organization, which saw the previous Hockey Canada board quit after coming under criticism related to its handling of sexual assault allegations.
Fraser said in a recent interview with SportsNet that he took on the role because he is a passionate hockey fan who was involved in the game on many levels. (His son, Mark, played seven seasons in the NHL and is currently working in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ front office.)
“I was there and volunteering in arenas and so on, and one boy was able to make it all the way to the NHL,” Fraser said. “… So, when you look at that kind of connection and then you see the sport, and Hockey Canada in particular, going through some challenging times, I just felt if there's anything I can do to assist, then maybe it's time to get off the sidelines and try to help out.”
Fraser competed on the Queen's track and field team from 1971-73 and won OUAA (now OUA) gold medals in the 50-metre, 100-metre, and 200-metre in both years he competed. Fraser would go on to compete in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal as a sprinter in the 200-metres and running the anchor leg of Canada's 4x100-metre relay team.
Fraser’s Olympic experience led to an interest in sports law, holding a place on the Court of Arbitration for Sport (an international organization that settles sports-related disputes) since 1995 and serving on the first ad hoc Court at the Olympic Games in 1996.
He has also held several sports administrative positions in sport including president of the Sports Federation of Canada, president of the Commonwealth Games Foundation of Canada, and board member of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.
Hugh Fraser is the son of Cecil Fraser, Arts’58, Law’61, the first Black student and graduate from the Queen’s Faculty of Law. Cecil is considered by many to be a pioneer in the Canadian legal profession.
