Five members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior Team have taken a leave of absence from their current clubs in recent days following reports that five members of the team have been requested to surrender to police to face sexual assault accusations.

NHL players Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils, Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames, and former NHL player Alex Formenton, who is now with a team in Europe, have all been granted indefinite leave, with the announcements coming over the last four days.

The Flyers and Swiss club HC Ambri-Piotta cited personal reasons for Hart’s and Formenton’s departures; the Swiss club also stated that Formenton had been permitted to return to Canada. The Flames cited Dube’s mental health, while the Devils announced McLeod and Foote were on leave without explaining on Wednesday.

Five Players From 2018 Canada World Junior Team Take Leave Of Absence From Their Clubs

Messages left for all five players’ agents and repeated messages sent to Hart’s lawyer seeking comment were responded to after some time. The NHL Players’ Association has declined to respond.

London, Ontario, police initiated an inquiry in 2022 after learning that Hockey Canada had settled a complaint with a woman who claimed she was sexually abused by eight members of the gold medal-winning team during a gala. According to the Globe and Mail, five players from that team have been ordered to surrender to police in the city midway between Toronto and Detroit to face sexual assault accusations.

When The Associated Press contacted London Police, a spokeswoman declined to confirm the allegation. “When there is an update to provide, we will share it with media outlets,” Sgt. Sandasha Bough said.

London Police stated Wednesday that they would conduct a news conference on February 5 to provide additional information “in relation to a sexual assault investigation dating back to 2018.”

Earlier in the day, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere began his midseason state-of-the-organization news conference by stating, “We are aware of this morning’s press reports on a very serious matter.” We will respond appropriately once the results of the investigations are made public.

Five Players From 2018 Canada World Junior Team Take Leave Of Absence From Their Clubs

“The NHL has made it clear that teams should direct all investigation-related queries to them. Meanwhile, members of the organization, including Flyers players, will not say further. That’s all we can say right now, regrettably.”

The NHL launched its inquiry in 2022 and promised to publicize the results.

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press via email Wednesday that the league will publish a comment when appropriate, adding that there was nothing further he could say now. During the Stanley Cup Final in June, Daly stated that an independent investigator had completed work and that a report would be available by summertime for the league to evaluate.

“We have been in contact with the London police, continue to want to be in contact with them, make sure that there’s visibility with respect to what our process is,” Daly told the BBC on June 3. “And our goal would be to discover what theirs is. And I can’t predict what occurs after that.”

On Tuesday, the Flyers announced Hart’s leave of absence after he had one of his worst starts of an otherwise excellent season, allowing five goals on 15 shots in a loss to Colorado before being yanked. Briere said he didn’t know if the circumstance influenced Hart’s current performance.

“I really can’t tell because we don’t know anything,” stated Briere. “We are unaware of anything. There is a lot of speculation. “That is all we know.”

When asked after practice in Newark, New Jersey, if McLeod and Foote’s absences were related to the report, Devils coach Lindy Ruff responded, “I’m not sure. I do not know.”

The Flames stated in its Sunday announcement concerning Dube, “Dillon is under the care of health professionals, and we request that Dillon’s privacy be respected during this period.”

Five Players From 2018 Canada World Junior Team Take Leave Of Absence From Their Clubs

Formenton, 24, was a 2017 second-round draft pick by the Ottawa Senators, who did not re-sign him in 2022 after his contract ended, although keeping his rights. Since then, he has played in Switzerland’s National League A.

It was unclear when or if the NHL will divulge the findings of its inquiry and what consequences any players involved may face. There needed to be more clarity on the three other players who were supposed to be engaged.

Hockey Canada has made significant improvements nearly two years after this, and other scandals surfaced, as well as the loss of big sponsors. CEO Scott Smith was fired, and the board of directors resigned in October 2022 over how Hockey Canada handled sexual assault complaints and paid out settlements.

Nike discontinued their agreement with Hockey Canada permanently last year after pausing it, along with other sponsors, in response to harsh criticism of the organization’s leadership.

SOURCE – (AP)