NHL To Wait For 2018 Canada World Junior Sexual Assault Case To Finish Before Considering Next Moves

TORONTO – The NHL will wait for the court process to conclude before making any judgements about four players charged with sexual assault in a 2018 case involving Canada’s world junior team, Commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday.

Bettman addressed the subject at All-Star Weekend, days after the NHL players were charged with sexual assault by police in London, Ontario. He described the charges as “abhorrent, reprehensible, horrific and unacceptable.”

Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils, and Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames are all on indefinite leave from their respective organisations. Bettman said the league believes punishing the players without pay for the remainder of the season is optional.

NHL To Wait For 2018 Canada World Junior Sexual Assault Case To Finish Before Considering Next Moves

“At this stage, the most responsible and prudent thing for us to do is await the conclusion of the judicial proceedings, at which point we will respond as appropriate at the time,” Bettman said. “I’m comfortable with them being away from their teams and not playing. In any case, they have already received the majority of their annual compensation. We are nearing the end of the compensation period for players. That is not a concern. The main concern is getting this correctly.”

Bettman pointed out that all four have contracts that do not extend beyond this season, and it seemed doubtful that any of the teams involved would try to terminate an agreement before then.

“It becomes irrelevant in terms of the timing,” Bettman added. “They are all on leave from their teams and suddenly become free agents. They will not be under contract after this season, anyway. To properly terminate a contract, you must be able to prove certain criteria.

Alex Formenton, a former NHL player, has also been charged. Attorneys for all five players claim their clients are innocent. London Police have set a Monday news conference to provide an update on the investigation.

Because of a legal backlog in Canada, it is uncertain when any court procedures will begin, let alone conclude. When asked about the eligibility of Hart, McLeod, Foote, and Dube in the meantime, Bettman replied he “would be surprised if they’re playing while this is pending.”

“If I were them, I would be focusing on defending themselves, assuming the charges come down,” Bettman said.

NHL To Wait For 2018 Canada World Junior Sexual Assault Case To Finish Before Considering Next Moves

Bettman has vast latitude to make judgements that benefit the game. After learning that Slava Voynov, a defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings, had committed acts of domestic abuse, the league suspended him for the 2019-20 season and playoffs. Shane Pinto was suspended for 41 games after breaking the league’s gambling rules.

The NHL initiated its inquiry in 2022 and promised to share the results. Bettman stated that the study took around 12 months and concluded last summer. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly stated that nothing will be revealed while the investigation is ongoing.

Marty Walsh, executive director of the NHL Players’ Association, declined to comment on his or the union’s role.

“I think you have to wait and see what happens in the courts and how the court proceedings go,” he added. “After that, you discuss the next steps. But you can’t go that far right now.

NHL To Wait For 2018 Canada World Junior Sexual Assault Case To Finish Before Considering Next Moves

In 2022, a woman filed a lawsuit against Hockey Canada, alleging that eight members of Canada’s world junior team sexually abused her in a hotel room following a fundraising banquet held in London in 2018. Hockey Canada resolved the complaint, and an inquiry showed that the organisation had two hidden slush accounts used to pay out settlements for sexual assault and abuse claims.

Bettman said the league learned of the claims on May 26, 2022. He said the NHL examined every player on that squad, and the woman involved declined to cooperate with the inquiry.

“There’s no fault there,” Bettman remarked. “She was absolutely within her rights not to talk to us, and we respect that, but that also impacts how the investigation had a complexity to it.”

SOURCE – (AP)