What is the status of the sexual assault case involving Canadian Junior World Championship players in 2018?

A scandal has rocked Canadian hockey and led to numerous investigations into several players who were on the country’s gold medal…

A scandal has rocked Canadian hockey and led to numerous investigations into several players who were part of the gold medal-winning Canadian World Junior Championship in 2018, including some who have moved on to the NHL.

In February, charges were filed in London, Ontario against five of those players, all of whom were placed on leave by their respective teams. On Sunday, the four remaining players in the NHL – Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote and Dillon Dube – did not receive qualifying offers, making them free agents.

They are still awaiting trial.

WHAT HAPPENED?

A woman sued Hockey Canada in 2022, alleging she was sexually harassed by eight members of Canada’s world junior team following a fundraising gala in London in 2018. Hockey Canada settled the lawsuit, and an investigation found that the organization had two secret funds to pay settlements for allegations of sexual assault and abuse.

According to London Detective Sgt. Katherine Dann, the alleged incident occurred in the early hours of June 19, 2018, after one of the accused met the victim in a bar and took her to the Delta Hotel London Armouries.

According to previously available court documents, the woman, then 20, alleged that “John Doe #1” took her to a hotel room and invited seven other men into the room to perform unspecified sexual acts, intimidated her, and prevented her from leaving. In the lawsuit, the woman testified that the men instructed her to take a shower and told her to say on the video that she was sober.

Dann said London police later received a call from a relative of the victim on June 19, 2018, and launched an investigation, which was concluded in 2019 without charges.

The 2022 lawsuit, which sought $3.55 million in damages and was dropped after the settlement with Hockey Canada, led police to reopen the investigation and file charges against five members of that team. Asked about other players, Dann said in February that charges had been filed “for all counts for which we have reasonable grounds.”

The NHL has launched its own investigation in 2022. Officials promised to release the results, although Commissioner Gary Bettman said in February that would depend on what the league could say in light of the legal proceedings.

WHO WAS ACCUSED?

Hart, formerly of the Philadelphia Flyers, McLeod and Foote, formerly of the New Jersey Devils, Dube, formerly of the Calgary Flames, and former NHL player Alex Formenton, now of Swiss club HC Ambri-Piotta, were charged with sexual assault. McLeod is also accused of being an accessory to the crime of sexual assault, which Dann said was aiding and abetting the commission of a crime.

Lawyers for all five players said they were innocent and would contest the charges. The four NHL players were placed on leave by their teams until the end of June.

Hart was the Flyers’ No. 1 goalie, while McLeod and Dube were regulars. Foote, a defenseman and son of former NHL player Adam Foote, spent last season mostly in the American Hockey League. Formenton played 109 games for the Ottawa Senators from 2017-2022 before heading to Europe.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Attorneys for the players involved have requested and received a jury trial. A virtual hearing in June set the stage for another on July 3. Another court date has been set for August 13 to potentially set the start of the trial.

Bettman said earlier this year he would be “surprised” if any of them played before the case was resolved.

POSSIBLE EFFECTS?

If players are convicted of sexual assault, Canadian law provides for prison sentences that depend on various factors, including the age of the alleged victim.

Bettman made it clear that the league will wait for the legal dispute to resolve before taking any action. He also pointed out that the four NHL players do not have contracts beyond this season.

“They’re all on leave from their teams and then they’re all free agents,” Bettman said. “They’re not going to have a contract after this season anyway.”

The NHL’s investigation has not yet been made public and will likely remain so until the case is resolved.

Whatever the court decides, Bettman has wide latitude to make decisions in the best interests of the game when it comes to off-ice conduct. The league in 2019 suspended Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov for the 2019-20 season and subsequent playoffs after he was found to have committed domestic violence. Shane Pinto was suspended for 41 games for violating the league’s gambling policy.

There is an appeals process with the NHL Players’ Association and an arbitrator appointed jointly by the league and the union to resolve disputes when necessary.

Hockey Canada, meanwhile, has already lost several sponsors, including Nike, and its CEO and board of directors resigned in 2022 in the wake of this and other scandals.

___

AP Hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/hockey