The identities are now known for the five former 2018 Canada Junior Team players who were ordered to surrender in court by police in London, Ontario, following an alleged gang rape committed five years ago and half earlier. In addition to Alex Formenton, whose name was revealed since Sunday, they are Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube and Cal Foote.
The latter four play in the National Hockey League. Their indictment in connection with the case, which was first revealed by sports media TSN on Tuesday, was confirmed by their respective lawyers. They say they will plead not guilty.
On Mr. Formenton’s side, his main lawyer, Daniel Brown, indicated on Sunday that the player, now a member of a Swiss team, had been accused by the Ontario police force. “He will vigorously defend his innocence,” he stressed.
THE Globe and Mail reported on January 24 that five players had been summoned by the police to face accusations of sexual assault.
They had all been granted “indefinite leave” from their respective teams in recent days.
An alleged assault committed in 2018
The alleged facts, which date back to 2018, allegedly occurred following a Hockey Canada fundraising gala. Hockey players allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in a London hotel room.
The alleged victim filed a lawsuit against Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and eight players in the spring of 2022. She claims to have first consented to sexual relations with a player, without knowing that seven of her teammates would then burst into the room to attack him and silence him. These allegations, refuted by the lawyers of certain players involved, have never been tested in court.
The story nevertheless engulfed Hockey Canada in a vast storm after the TSN network revealed that the organization had tried to keep the matter quiet by paying compensation to the complainant. The outrage from coast to coast convinced London police to reopen the investigation, after first closing the case in 2019 without filing charges.
With The Canadian Press and Sébastien Tanguay