4 NHL players charged with sexual assault, attorneys say

Current NHL players Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Carter Hart and Cal Foote on Tuesday were charged with sexual assault related to an alleged group incident in 2018 in London, Ontario, when they were members of Canada’s world junior hockey team.

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McLeod, 25, a center with the New Jersey Devils; Dubé, 25, a center with the Calgary Flames; Foote, 25, a defenseman for the Devils; and Hart, a goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers, were among five players of the 2018 Canadian world junior men’s team directed to surrender to authorities, The Globe and Mail reported.

Attorneys for all four players confirmed the charges.

Fourth player charged

Update 7:43 p.m. EST Jan. 30: New Jersey Devils defenseman Cal Foote, 25, was charged with sexual assault, his attorney confirmed to CBC News.

Julianna Greenspan told the news outlet that “Cal is innocent of the charge and will defend himself against this allegation to clear his name.”

“What is most critical at this time is the presumption of innocence, and the right to a fair trial that everyone in Canada is entitled to,” Greenspan said in her statement. “As the matter is before the court, I ask that Cal’s and his family’s privacy be respected. There will be no further comment at this time.”

Third player charged

Update 7:26 p.m. EST Jan. 30: Carter Hart, 25, a goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers, was the third player charged with sexual assault, his attorney said Tuesday night.

Hart’s Toronto-based attorneys, Megan Savard and Riaz Sayani, confirmed to ESPN in an email that the player “has been charged with one count of sexual assault.”

“He is innocent and will provide a full response to this false allegation in the proper forum, a court of law,” the attorneys said.

Original report: The attorneys for McLeod and Dubé confirmed the charges, CBC News reported.

Cal Foote, McLeod’s teammate with the Devils, and Carter Hart, of the Philadelphia Flyers, were the other two current NHL players ordered to surrender to authorities, TSN reported.

Former NHL player Alex Formenton, who was playing professionally in Switzerland, surrendered to London police on Sunday, ESPN reported. His attorney also confirmed that Formenton had been charged.

Police have scheduled a news conference for Feb. 5, according to ESPN.

“Mr. McLeod denies any criminal wrongdoing,” the player’s attorneys David Humphrey and Seth Weinstein, said in a statement. “He will be pleading not guilty and will vigorously defend the case.

“None of the evidence has been presented, let alone tested in court. We ask that the public respect Mr. McLeod’s privacy and his family’s privacy. Because the matter is now before the court, we will not comment further at this time.”

Dubé’s attorneys, Louis Strezos and Kaleigh Davidson, also confirmed the charges in a statement, according to CBC.

“He will plead not guilty and maintains his innocence,” the statement said. “He will defend the allegations in court. We ask that you respect the privacy of Mr. Dubé and that of his family. There will be no further comment at this time.”

“The London Police have charged several players, including Alex Formenton, in connection with an accusation made in 2018,” Formenton’s attorney, Lindsay Board, said in a statement to the Toronto Star. “Alex will vigorously defend his innocence and asks that people not rush to judgment without hearing all of the evidence.”

All five players were granted leaves of absence by their respective teams last week, NJ.com reported. They are on paid league, sources told ESPN.

The London Police Department opened an investigation in 2022 after TSN reported that Hockey Canada settled a lawsuit with a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by eight members of that team. The alleged incident occurred following a gala celebrating their gold medal win at the World Juniors Championships in 2018, according to the news outlet.

The lawsuit, brought against Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and eight unnamed players, was settled for more than $3 million in May 2022, TSN reported.

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