Where things stand with sexual assault case involving 2018 Canada world junior players
4 current NHLers charged by London police, attorneys say clients are innocent
A scandal has rocked Canadian hockey and led to multiple investigations of several prominent players who were on the nation's gold medal-winning 2018 world junior team, including some who have moved on to the NHL.
The latest developments came Tuesday when lawyers representing four current NHL players said their clients had been charged with sexual assault. A former NHL player surrendered to police Sunday to face a sexual assault charge. The attorneys say their clients are innocent.
Police in London, Ont., have scheduled a news conference for Monday to provide details about their investigation.
What happened
A woman sued Hockey Canada in 2022, alleging she was sexually assaulted by eight members of Canada's world junior team after a fundraising gala in London in 2018. Hockey Canada settled the lawsuit, and then an investigation revealed the organization had two secret slush funds to pay out settlements on claims of sexual assault and abuse.
The woman sought $3.55 million in damages and dropped the lawsuit after reaching a settlement with Hockey Canada.
London police launched an internal review in July 2022, and the NHL said it would conduct an independent investigation into what happened because some active players were on that team and attended the gala. Commissioner Gary Bettman pledged to release the findings once completed.
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly in June said the investigation was complete and expected a report by midsummer that the league would then review. So far, the NHL has not released the findings. Daly said last week the league would issue a statement when it is appropriate.
WATCH | 5 former world juniors players face sexual assault charges:
Who has been charged?
Goaltender Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers has been charged with one count of sexual assault, according to his attorneys, who maintained his innocence. Lawyers representing Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils and Dillon Dubé of the Calgary Flames also said their clients were charged with sexual assault and denied wrongdoing.
Former NHL player Alex Formenton surrendered to police to face charges on Sunday.
Hart is the Flyers' No. 1 goaltender, while McLeod and Dubé are regular players. Foote, a defenceman and son of former NHL player Adam Foote, has primarily been in the American Hockey League this season. Formenton plays for Swiss club HC Ambri-Piotta after skating in 109 games for the Ottawa Senators from 2017 through 2022.
It is not clear what, if anything, might happen to the three other players alleged by the woman to have been in the room.
What's next?
It's not uncommon in Canada for police to provide significant time for anyone facing charges to surrender, which helps explain why the next update is set for next week, two days after the NHL's All-Star Weekend in Toronto.
It's unclear when the NHL will release its findings, though Daly has repeatedly deferred to the London police investigation, so waiting for charges to be announced wouldn't be surprising.
The teams are planning to compete without those players for the foreseeable future. Flyers general manager Daniel Brière, at a pre-scheduled midseason news conference last week, read a statement and had few answers about Hart's absence.
"We will respond appropriately when the outcomes of the investigations are made public," he said.
Spokespeople for the Devils and Flyers on Tuesday said the organizations were aware of the reports and have been told to refer all inquiries to the league. The NHL was not expected to address the situation until Bettman speaks at the upcoming All-Star Weekend in Toronto.
Possible fallout?
For the players, no one knows. If any players are convicted of sexual assault, Canadian law includes jail-time sentences, depending on several factors, including the age of the alleged victim.
There's some precedent for what punishment the NHL could dole out as far as suspensions for off-ice misconduct. Bettman has wide latitude to make decisions in the interest of the game. There is an appeals process through the NHL Players' Association and an arbitrator jointly hired by the league and union to rule on disputes, when necessary.
The league in 2019 suspended Los Angeles Kings defenceman Slava Voynov for the 2019-20 season and ensuing playoffs after determining he committed acts of domestic violence.
Hockey Canada has already lost several sponsors, including Nike, and its CEO and board resigned in 2022 in the wake of this and other scandals.
Potential sanctions beyond case
The players facing sexual assault charges also have the potential to encounter further sanctions regardless of the outcome of their case.
Richard McLaren, an Ontario lawyer who authored a report into Russia's sports doping at the Olympics, said players could be banned from playing in the NHL due to violating their team's and the league's code of conduct.
"There's a lot of factors," he said. "It involves the player, their team, the league and the players association when it comes to further repercussions."
McLaren says even if the players are acquitted in a criminal court, the code of conduct agreement laid out by the players' union and pro clubs means they could be banned from playing in the NHL in the future.
But they can also continue a playing career, McLaren said, adding that in his opinion it's unlikely they would be barred from playing in the United States if they're acquitted.
Tom Mayenknecht, a principal in Emblematica Brand Builders and a former sports executive, said the players' behaviour and attitude during the court case could have a bearing on any possible future.
"These things depend not only on what the players have been accused of doing and what they could potentially be convicted on, it's often measured on how they handle it," he said.
He said the players' professional clubs will be required to make a decision on whether to continue to employ them while the case remains without a verdict.
With files from The Canadian Press' Nick Wells
