The GIST: The investigation into sexual assault allegations against members of Canada’s gold medal–winning 2018 World Juniors team has now implicated four NHL players. Carter Hart (Philadelphia Flyers), Michael McLeod (New Jersey Devils), Dillon Dube (Calgary Flames), and Cal Foote (New Jersey Devils) have been instructed to surrender to police, following former NHLer Alex Formenton turning himself in on Sunday, as reported by TSN.
The backstory: These five players, who took unexpected leaves from their teams last week, are accused of sexually assaulting a woman after a celebration event in June 2018. An initial police inquiry in 2019 did not result in charges, but the case was reopened in 2022 when the woman filed a $3.5M lawsuit against Hockey Canada. Though the lawsuit was settled out of court, it shed light on Hockey Canada’s multiple slush funds for sexual assault settlements, which is disturbing.
What’s happening now: The London (Ontario) police will hold a press conference next Monday to provide updates on the case, and the players are expected to surrender before then. With the NHL All-Star events approaching this weekend, the league has yet to comment on their own investigation into the allegations. Time is ticking.
