Ex Hockey Canada Junior Players Were Accused Of Sex Assault & Here's Who Has Been Named
All five went on to play in the NHL.
New Jersey Devils forward Michael McLeod. Right: Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart.
The five players expected to face charges in the Hockey Canada 2018 sexual assault investigation all went on to play games in the NHL, with several of them earning millions of dollars in the years after the alleged incident occurred.
All five players have reportedly been told to surrender to police in London, Ont., where charges will be read out at a news conference on February 5.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
The charges relate to an incident that's alleged to have happened after a Hockey Canada-backed event celebrating the team's 2018 World Junior Hockey Championship victory.
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The alleged victim, who has not been publicly identified, has claimed in a lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted by several hockey players in a London hotel room after the event.
Hockey Canada ultimately settled with her on behalf of the players and the Canadian Hockey League, and claimed at the time that it didn't know which players were involved. TSN first reported the settlement in May 2022 and Hockey Canada's leadership was later ousted over its handling of the case.
The victim initially said she was attacked by eight men, but it's unclear if others will be charged at a later date.
One player, Alex Formenton, surrendered to police over the weekend and TSN has since reported the names of the other four players expected to do the same, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
Carter Hart, Michael McLeod and Dillon Dube have been charged with sexual assault, their lawyers told CBC News.
Each of the five players took a leave of absence from his current team in recent days.
Here are the five individuals expected to surrender to the authorities ahead of the news conference in London on February 5.
Carter Hart
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere announced January 23 that goaltender Carter Hart "has requested and been granted an indefinite leave of absence citing personal reasons."
Hart, 25, was drafted by the Flyers in 2016 and was the team's starting goalie at the time of his departure.
He is currently in the final year of a three-year contract worth an average $3.979 million annually, per CapFriendly.
Hart and several other players addressed the allegations in a statement to Global News in the summer of 2022.
"None of the players [referenced in Global News' story] engaged in any wrongdoing, all of the players cooperated fully with the independent London Police Service investigation in 2018, and all players were then cleared of any wrongdoing," said the legal team for Hart and several others.
Hart is the only member of that group who has since been identified as a suspect.
Dillon Dube
The Calgary Flames declared on January 21 that Dillon Dube "has been granted an indefinite leave of absence from the team while he attends to his mental health."
They added that he is "under the care of health professionals" and requested privacy.
Dube was drafted by the Flames in 2016 and began his NHL career during the 2018-19 season. The 25-year-old has played for Calgary ever since.
He's currently in the final year of a three-year deal that pays him $2.3 million each season, according to the salary-tracking site CapFriendly.
His agent addressed the original Hockey Canada story in a statement to the Toronto Star in 2022. "Dillon did not engage in any wrongdoing, and he co-operated fully with the independent London Police Service investigation in 2018, through which all players were then cleared of any wrongdoing," the agent said.
Dube's lawyers told CBC News on Tuesday that he has been charged with sexual assault.
"He will plead not guilty and maintains his innocence," they said. "He will defend the allegations in court."
The Flames have since claimed that they had no knowledge of the case when they announced his leave for "mental health" reasons.
"We have now become aware of the charge of sexual assault that has been laid against Dillon Dube. We take this matter very seriously. Because the matter is now pending legal proceedings, we will have no further comment at this time," they said in a late Tuesday statement.
"We had no knowledge of pending charges at the time Dillon’s request for a leave of absence was granted."
Alex Formenton
Former Ottawa Senators forward Alex Formenton, 24, was granted leave from his team in Switzerland on January 24 so he could return to Canada. His Swiss team, Ambri-Piotta HC, says it will be an "indefinite leave of absence."
Formenton was drafted in the second round by the Senators in 2017. He would end up playing parts of three seasons with the Sens and another season in the minor leagues before heading to Switzerland in 2022.
His last NHL contract paid him an annual average of $888,333 per season, according to CapFriendly.
Formenton did not issue a statement when the allegations first emerged in 2022.
His legal team confirmed to NBC News and others this week that he has surrendered to police.
"Alex will vigorously defend his innocence and asks that people not rush to judgment without hearing all of the evidence," his lawyer said in a statement.
Michael McLeod
The other two individuals named in connection with the case are currently members of the New Jersey Devils.
"Michael McLeod and Cal Foote have each requested and been granted indefinite leave of absences from the team," the Devils said in a statement on Wednesday.
McLeod, 25, was a first-round pick by the Devils in 2016 and has played parts of the past six seasons with the team.
The centre is currently on a one-year, $1.4-million deal, according to CapFriendly. The site estimates he's earned more than $3.75 million over his career.
"Mr. McLeod denies any criminal wrongdoing," his lawyers told Reuters in a statement. "He will be pleading not guilty and will vigorously defend the case.
"None of the evidence has been presented, let alone tested in court. We ask that the public respect Mr. McLeod's privacy, and his family's privacy."
Cal Foote
Cal Foote, 25, was also named as one of the suspects in the case.
Foote was originally a first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2017. He would go on to play for the Lightning and the Nashville Predators before signing with the New Jersey Devils.
Foote was actually born in the U.S. while his father, Adam Foote, was playing with the Colorado Avalanche.
He is on a one-year, $800,000 contract and is estimated to have earned about $2,647,000 over his career, according to CapFriendly.
When asked about the case, his agent told Global News in 2022 that he was not involved in any way.
No trial date or specific charges have been announced at this point.
"We understand that there is significant public interest in relation to a sexual assault investigation dating back to 2018," the London Police Service said in a statement on January 24.
"While we are unable to provide an update at this time, we anticipate that the London Police Service will hold a press conference on Monday, February 5, 2024 to share further details."
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, call the Assaulted Women's Helpline at 1-866-863-0511. You can also contact support services for male survivors of sexual assault at 1-866-887-0015. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. Support is available.
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