Hockey Canada hires Irfan Chaudhry as Vice President diversity and inclusion

Hockey Canada announced Friday that they have hired and appointed Irfan Chaudhry as vice president, of diversity and inclusion. He will join the organization on April 12.

Chaudhry was the director of the office of human rights, diversity and equity at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. He has been involved in human rights, diversity and equity since 2011. He is also the founder of Grow the Game, a hub for anti-racism resources in the hockey community. Grow the game is the follow-up project to For the Growth of the Game: Addressing Racism in Hockey, which was a virtual summit that was held in 2020 and exposed the reality of racial discrimination in hockey as stories were shared by those who have experienced it in the sport. Chaudhry has been heavily involved within the community and is very well respected. He volunteers as a Board Member for the Edmonton Police Commission, as well as participates in Public Safety Canada’s Expert Committee on Countering Radicalization to Violence, sits on the Alberta Hates Crimes Committee and is an advisor for the Canadian Council of Muslim Women. 

“Having Irfan join Hockey Canada is a significant addition to our organization, and we are excited to have him lead the development of a vision and strategy to create and sustain a culture within hockey that embraces and promotes equity, diversity and inclusion,” said Denise Pattyn, senior vice-president of people, culture and inclusion. “His accomplishments and wealth of knowledge and experience in higher education and sport will be incredibly valuable to Hockey Canada, and we look forward to welcoming him in April.”

Chaudhry has been a member of the Hockey Canada Diversity and Inclusion and Advisory Group since 2020. The group focuses on the implementation of Hockey Canada’s equity, diversity and strategic plan. In 2018, he was presented with the Emerging Leadership Award for the Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment in Higher Education. He was also recently awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal in recognition of his contribution to Alberta.

“It is an honour to join the team at Hockey Canada,” said Chaudhry. “This is an exciting time of transformation for the sport, and I am looking forward to continue the foundational work of the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group, and build a true culture of inclusion within Hockey Canada as well as the broader hockey ecosystem throughout the country.”