The landscape of Canadian hockey has been overshadowed by a significant scandal involving allegations of sexual assault by members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team. The repercussions of these allegations have now reached the professional careers of four players currently on NHL rosters, who found themselves without new contracts as investigations continue.
Players Released Amid Ongoing Investigations
Four NHL players—Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils, and Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames—have not been offered new contracts by their respective teams. This decision follows charges filed earlier this year and ongoing investigations that stemmed from a 2022 lawsuit alleging sexual assault.
In February, charges were filed in London, Ontario, against five players connected to the alleged assault. As a result, the implicated players took a leave of absence from their teams. Now, with their contracts not renewed, these players enter the realm of free agency, casting uncertainty over their professional futures as they await the outcomes of the legal proceedings.
The Allegations and Immediate Aftermath
The scandal originated with a lawsuit filed in 2022. A woman accused eight members of the Canadian team of sexually assaulting her after a fundraising gala in London in 2018. Hockey Canada settled the lawsuit shortly after, which prompted further investigations into the incident.
The details of the alleged assault are harrowing. On June 19, 2018, the then 20-year-old woman claimed that one player, referred to in the lawsuit as "John Doe #1," took her to a hotel room at the Delta Hotel London Armouries and invited seven other men to engage in undisclosed sexual acts. The alleged victim contended that the men intimidated her and prevented her from leaving. They directed her to take a shower and coerced her into stating on video that she was sober.
Police Investigations and Legal Proceedings
The London Police were alerted to the incident later that same day by a relative of the victim. An initial investigation was conducted but closed in 2019 without charges. However, the filing of the lawsuit in 2022 reopened the investigation, leading to charges against five team members. Detective Sgt. Katherine Dann from the London Police commented on the charges, stating, “for all the charges we have reasonable grounds for.”
Adding to the complexity of the case, Alex Formenton, a former NHL player currently with the Swiss club HC Ambri-Piotta, has also been charged with sexual assault in connection to the allegations. The NHL itself launched an investigation into the matter in 2022, indicating the far-reaching impact of the scandal on the sport.
Impact on Canadian Hockey
This scandal has had profound consequences on Canadian hockey, shaking public confidence in the institutions that govern the sport. Hockey Canada, already under scrutiny, has been revealed to have maintained two secret funds to resolve claims of sexual assault and abuse, a fact that has only intensified the call for organizational transparency and reform.
The decision by the NHL teams not to renew the contracts of the implicated players represents a significant development in the ongoing saga. As these players face the uncertainty of free agency and await legal outcomes, the entire hockey community is left to grapple with the broader implications of the incident, underscoring a pressing need for systemic change within the sport’s governing bodies.
As the investigations continue and legal proceedings unfold, the future remains uncertain for Hart, McLeod, Foote, Dube, and Formenton. Their cases and the response from hockey organizations could serve as a catalyst for much-needed changes in how allegations of this nature are handled in the future.