Attorneys for the players appeared virtually
before Justice Alissa Mitchell on Tuesday and learned the
scheduling date.
Set to go on trial are five players from Canada's 2018 World
Juniors hockey team -- four of whom started the 2023-24 season
on NHL rosters. The trial isn't expected to start before the
fall.
Police confirmed in a news conference on Feb. 5 that sexual
assault charges had been filed against Carter Hart, Michael
McLeod, Cal Foote, Dillon Dube and Alex Formenton.
Hart, McLeod, Foote, Dube and Formenton each face one count of
sexual assault. McLeod faces an additional charge of being party
to an offense.
The players have denied criminal wrongdoing and no allegations
have been proved.
Formenton is a former NHL forward who was playing in Switzerland
at the time of his arrest, while the other four were active NHL
players who have taken paid leaves of absences from their teams
-- Hart (Philadelphia Flyers), Dube (Calgary Flames), and McLeod
and Foote (New Jersey Devils).
The men stand accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a
London, Ontario, hotel room in June 2018 after a Hockey Canada
Foundation fundraiser.
TSN reported in May 2022 that a woman identified only by her
initials in court documents settled a $3.55 million lawsuit she
had filed against Hockey Canada and other defendants, including
eight unnamed players.
--Field Level Media [© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely
responsible for this content. |
|