A former National Hockey League (NHL) player has been charged with sexual assault in Canada, his lawyer said, the latest development in a case that has wreaked havoc within Canadian hockey's governing body and has angered many people across the country.
According to an article in the Globe and Mail, a Toronto newspaper, four more players are expected to turn themselves in to police in London, Ontario, in the coming days.
“London police have charged several players, including Alex Formenton, in connection with allegations made in 2018,” said Dan Brown, Mr. Formenton’s lawyer. Formenton, in an emailed statement. “Alex will vigorously defend his innocence and ask people not to rush to judgment without hearing all the evidence.”
Mr. Brown did not specify what his client is accused of.
After playing with the NHL's Ottawa Senators, Mr. Formenton, 24, moved to Switzerland to play for a professional team called Hockey Club Ambri-Piotta. The club, in a statement released last Wednesday, said Mr. Formenton will be allowed to return to Canada on indefinite leave for personal reasons.
It was reported that these sexual assault allegations were reported to police in 2018, when the players were members of Canada's junior national team, which created a huge uproar over the years, even in a sport with a long history of similar allegations.
It led to changes in the board and management of Hockey Canada, hockey's national governing body, caused the departure of sponsors, reduced government funding for the sport, sparked a parliamentary inquiry and sparked strong criticism from the public and political figures, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. .
As members of the junior national team, these accused players won the 2018 world junior championship. Their notoriety has intensified the public backlash against the abuse allegations. The junior championship is a television ritual in Canada second only to the Stanley Cup playoffs in terms of popularity among annual sporting events.
The woman who made the allegations said she was sexually assaulted in June 2018, after attending a Hockey Canada fundraiser in London, Ontario. City police initially investigated the allegations in 2018, but dropped the investigation in 2019 without filing charges.
The dispute faded until May 2022, when TSN, the sports television network, reported that Hockey Canada had paid 3.5 million Canadian dollars, or $2.6 million, to settle a lawsuit brought by the woman, identified in court records as “EM.”
In the April 2022 lawsuit, the woman said the incident happened after she was introduced to the men at a bar and that she was sexually assaulted by eight crew members for several hours after the gala of 2018. It is unclear whether the other accused team members will do so. face criminal prosecution.
Public anger intensified after the Globe and Mail reported in July 2022 that the lawsuit settlement money came from funds generated by hockey registration fees, including children's fees.
Hockey Canada acknowledged the funds were used to pay C$7.6 million, or $5.65 million, to settle nine allegations of sexual assault and abuse dating back to 1989. Other allegations of sexual abuse involving the 2003 junior national team emerged in 2022.
London police resumed their investigation in 2022 following reports of a settlement of the lawsuit.
Hockey Canada and the NHL have also launched investigations, but have not made their findings public.
In an article on It's very satisfying to see this process continue.
He added: “We all hope that justice can be done. Victims must be heard.
Miles Bolton contributed to this report from London, Ontario.
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