Canadian police discuss 2018 sexual assault case involving NHL players

The chief of the London, Ontario, police department apologized Monday to the woman who has accused five hockey players of a 2018 sexual assault in a case that has rocked the sport.

“This investigation has been a lengthy and complex process,” Chief Thai Truong said at a news conference Monday in London. “I want to recognize the victim for her courage and her incredible strength throughout. … I want to extend, on behalf of the London Police Service, my sincerest apology to the victim, to her family for the amount of time that it has taken to reach this point. As a police officer working in this space for many, many years, I can tell you that this is a difficult, difficult situation for all victims and survivors of sexual violence.”

Last week, police in London charged the five – Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils, Dillon Dubé of the Calgary Flames, Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers and former NHL player Alex Formenton – with one count each of sexual assault after police closed an initial investigation in 2018 and 2019 without charges.

Truong said Monday the initial investigation was closed because there were “insufficient grounds to lay a charge.” But in July 2022, Truong said, a comprehensive review of the case was initiated by now-retired London chief Steve Williams, with new evidence and information gathered. As a result of the reopened investigation, police charged the five players last week.

Lawyers for the five players took part in a brief video conference hearing Monday before a London court (the players did not appear). The next court hearing was set for April 30. Lawyers for all five say they plan to plead not guilty. All five – who continued their professional hockey careers over the course of both investigations – have been granted leaves of absences from their teams. (Formenton plays in Switzerland, though his NHL rights are owned by the Ottawa Senators.)

The incident in question took place in June 2018, when members of the Canadian team that won gold at that year’s world junior championships were honored at a Hockey Canada fundraiser in London. On Monday, London Det. Sgt. Katherine Dann, who headed the review of the initial investigation, said a person associated with the woman told police the day after the incident that the woman had been sexually assaulted by the players.

The 2022 review determined there were “additional steps that could be taken to advance the investigation. As a result, the investigation was reopened and a team of investigators was assigned,” Dann said. London police said in December 2022 that they had “reasonable grounds” to believe five players committed sexual assault, but charges were not filed until last month.

Citing the case now before the London court, both Truong or Dann repeatedly declined to go into specifics about the 2018 investigation, what spurred the reopened investigation in 2022, what evidence came to light in the latter investigation or whether more players from the Canadian team will be charged. In a since-settled multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed by the woman against Hockey Canada, the sport’s governing body in that country, and others, she said “seven or eight” team members sexually assaulted her.

“Information came to light as a result of the community, and part of what we do is listen to the community” was all that Truong would offer as to the origins of the reopened investigation, adding that the accuser cooperated with police throughout. Dann said that some evidence was not available in the initial investigation.

The NHL also has completed its own investigation, though Commissioner Gary Bettman said last week that the league doesn’t plan to share its findings until the legal case in London has run its course. Bettman also left open the possibility that, depending on the outcome of the criminal case, the NHL might never share the results of its report.

Hockey Canada released a statement after the London news conference saying it has “cooperated fully with the London Police Service throughout its investigation” and adding, “We are committed to continuing to support the legal process.”

The statement also said, “All players from the 2018 National Junior Team remain suspended by Hockey Canada, and are ineligible to play, coach, officiate or volunteer with Hockey Canada-sanctioned programs,” pending the completion of the appeals process.

“Hockey Canada recognizes that in the past we have been too slow to act and that in order to deliver the meaningful change that Canadians expect of us, we must work diligently and urgently to ensure that we are putting in place the necessary measures to regain their trust, and provide all participants with a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment on and off the ice,” Katherine Henderson, president and chief executive of Hockey Canada, said in the statement.