- Sexual assault against 2018 Canada’s world junior championship team is “abhorrent”.
- Following a Hockey Canada banquet in London, Ontario, in June 2018, the event took place.
- The four NHL players who are accused are nearing the end of their contracts.
According to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, the claims of sexual assault against five members of Canada’s world junior championship team in 2018 are “abhorrent, reprehensible, horrific, and unacceptable.”
Following a Hockey Canada banquet in London, Ontario, in June 2018, the event took place. After a lady reported that eight players had sexually assaulted her in a hotel room, the police and Hockey Canada renewed their investigations.
Canada’s junior hockey team
Despite interviewing every player on the 2018 squad as part of its external inquiry, the NHL was not granted authorization to speak with the woman.
As word of the impending charges in Ontario spread, the league was getting ready to meet with the NHL Players’ Association to go over the results of its 12-month investigation. According to Bettman, it would not be appropriate to speak further on the situation while charges are still pending.
The most responsible and prudent course of action for the league is to wait for the outcome of legal proceedings, as all of the NHL players who seem to be under investigation have left their teams.
The four NHL players who are accused are nearing the end of their contracts, and the five players were given indefinite leave from their franchises. According to Bettman, the reported incident is not typical of what happens in the game, and the league is dedicated to leading by example and working with hockey organizations at all levels, especially the youth level, to guarantee proper behavior during play.
