Piccini faces new questions over rinkside tickets linked to family of company that received millions in government grants

Ontario Labour Minister David Piccini is facing renewed scrutiny after it was revealed that the rinkside Maple Leafs seats he was photographed in belonged to the family of a director of a company that later received millions from the province’s Skills Development Fund. The seats are owned by the Zakarow family, and Peter Zakarow — who appeared seated beside Piccini in the photo — is a director of Keel Digital Solutions, a Toronto firm that received at least $2.7 million in Skills Development Fund grants the year after the January 17, 2023 hockey game.

That connection complicates Piccini’s previous claims that he paid for his own tickets, experts say, since any repayment could have gone directly to Zakarow’s family.
“When you’re a public official, you have to be very scrupulous about ensuring there’s a record that you paid back any costs,” said Ian Stedman, a law professor at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School and former staffer in the Ontario Integrity Commissioner’s Office.
Piccini’s office previously said he is a “lifelong sports fan who purchases his own tickets.” However, sources familiar with the matter said the specific seats have been in the Zakarow family for decades, meaning any transaction would likely have been between Piccini and the family — not through the Maple Leafs box office or resale market.

When asked directly whether Piccini reimbursed the family and how much he paid, his office declined to answer, saying only that he has “already publicly responded to these questions.”
Integrity Commissioner records show Piccini did not declare any gifts in 2023, 2024, or 2025.
The Skills Development Fund, a $2.5-billion initiative under Premier Doug Ford’s government, is designed to retrain workers and grow Ontario’s economy. But it has come under fire amid allegations that some grants benefited groups and firms linked to government allies.
Ontario’s Auditor-General previously found that political staff overrode internal rankings more than half the time in awarding $742 million in grants, describing the process as “not fair, transparent or accountable.”

One grant recipient, Keel Digital Solutions, trains peer support workers for police officers and was represented by lobbyist Michael Rudderham, who is also accused by the NDP of putting Piccini in a conflict of interest by inviting him to his wedding in France.
During Question Period on Monday, NDP Leader Marit Stiles repeated calls for Piccini to resign, demanding the release of the full staff rankings for all Skills Development Fund grants.

“Will this minister keep treating tax dollars like a friends and family fund?” Stiles asked.
Piccini dismissed her remarks as “full of inaccuracies,” insisting grants are reviewed based on government priorities such as housing, mining, and job creation in Northern Ontario.
He also noted that some recipients of Skills Development Fund grants have ties to former NDP candidates, arguing the fund supports projects across party lines.
Professor Stedman said the Integrity Commissioner may need to examine whether Piccini’s use of the tickets constituted a gift requiring disclosure.

“The question for the commissioner will be, is that a gift, and should it be reported?” he said. “That’s tricky — it can depend on fair market value and the nature of the relationship.”
Messages to Keel Digital Solutions and Peter Zakarow were not returned. The Integrity Commissioner’s Office said it does not comment on whether an MPP has sought advice.