Five current and former NHL players, all members of Canada's world junior hockey team in 2018, have been charged with sexual assault. The players involved are Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils, Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames, and former NHL player Alex Formenton, who currently plays for a Swiss team.
These charges, which have cast a shadow over Canadian hockey for years, have attracted significant attention. Last week, the players' lawyers confirmed that their clients had been charged but asserted that all of them pleaded not guilty. The players turned themselves in to the London police over the past week.
The case traces its origins back to a lawsuit filed in 2022 by a woman who alleged that she was sexually assaulted by eight members of Canada's junior team at a hotel room after a fundraising gala in London in June 2018. Hockey Canada settled the lawsuit and subsequently faced criticism when an investigation revealed the existence of two secret slush funds within the organization to pay settlements related to claims of sexual assault and abuse.
Initially, London police dropped their investigation into the case in 2019, but they reopened it in July 2022 through an internal investigation. Concurrently, the NHL initiated its own investigation, the results of which are likely to be made public only after the legal case is resolved.
Commissioner Gary Bettman addressed the issue during the NHL's All-Star Weekend in Toronto, stating that it was prudent for the league to await the conclusion of the judicial proceedings before taking any action. He further confirmed that the NHL became aware of the allegations on May 26, 2022, and conducted interviews with all the players from the 2018 team. However, the woman involved declined to participate in the league's investigation.
In the meantime, the players implicated in the case have been placed on indefinite leave by their respective teams. Although some have called for the players to be suspended without pay for the remainder of the season, Commissioner Bettman stated that the league does not believe such action is necessary at this time.
The charges against these talented athletes have sent shockwaves through the hockey world, raising important questions about the sport's culture and the responsibility of governing bodies like Hockey Canada and the NHL to address issues of sexual assault and abuse. As the legal proceedings unfold, the entire hockey community will be closely watching for justice to be served and for necessary changes to be implemented to prevent such incidents from happening again.
