The Hockey Canada Sex Assault Case Is Officially Underway & 5 Ex Players Face Charges

The sexual assault case regarding five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team got underway in London, Ontario, on Monday.

London police also gave an update on Monday regarding the 2018 investigation and apologized to the victim for the "amount of time" it took to lay charges.

Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton all face one count of sexual assault in relation to the case heard in the courtroom on Monday.

Michael McLeod faces two counts of sexual assault, according to police.

The charges are linked to an incident that allegedly took place after a Hockey Canada-backed event celebrating the team's 2018 World Junior Hockey Championship victory.

The alleged victim, who has not been named, has said in a lawsuit that several hockey players sexually assaulted her in a London hotel room following the championship.

Five players from that team now face criminal charges in connection with the alleged incident. Four are current NHL players and one is a former NHLer.

On Monday afternoon, London police live-streamed a press conference on YouTube.

Truong, who was not the chief at the time of the alleged incident, confirmed the initial investigation from June 2017 to February 2019 concluded without any charges after there were "insufficient grounds" to lay charges.

The investigation was reopened in July 2022 after additional evidence was gathered.

During the press conference, Truong was asked by a reporter who was to blame for the investigation taking as long as it did. The police chief acknowledged it was a good question to ask, but said he couldn't answer it at this time.

Truong said the investigation has been a "lengthy" and "complex" process and that police are now focused on supporting the victim, who has been fully cooperative since the beginning.

"My sincerest apology to the victim, to her family for the amount of time that it has taken to reach this point," Truong added.

The police chief said the charges are a "critical step" in moving forward.

The athletes have taken a leave of absence from their current hockey teams after they were told to surrender to police before the court hearing.

Lawyers representing the accused appeared in a courtroom via video on Monday and the case was adjourned until April 30.

Hockey Canada and the NHL have also conducted independent investigations.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

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.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.