Five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team have been ordered to surrender to police over pending sexual assault charges in a case that rocked Hockey Canada, two sources have reportedly told the Globe and Mail.
The players have not yet been charged and have been given a timeline in which to present themselves at London, Ontario police headquarters, the Globe and Mail reported.
London police spokesperson Const. Sandasha Bough declined to comment when approached by the Globe and Mail.
The charges reportedly relate to the alleged group sexual assault of a woman in a hotel room, which followed a June 2018 Hockey Canada gala at which world junior hockey players were celebrated for their recent victory.
The complainant, who has been identified as E.M in court documents, in 2022 sought $3.55 million in damages in a lawsuit against Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and eight unnamed players.
She has alleged that after engaging in consensual sexual acts with one player, seven more entered the room and she was “directed, manipulated and intimidated into remaining, after which she was subjected to further sexual assaults,” according to the Globe and Mail report.
TSN went on to report a month after the lawsuit had been filed that the case had been settled by Hockey Canada, thrusting the organization into the public spotlight.
Hockey Canada faced questions from lawmakers about its National Equity Fund, with court documents having shown that player registration fees in part went to pay claims for uninsured liabilities such as sexual abuse claims.
Hockey Canada said, in a July 2022 statement, that the fund would cease to be used for the settlement of sexual assault claims, following media scrutiny and public outcry.
Previously it had been used to cover a “broad range of expenses related to safety, wellness and equity initiatives”, as well as “insurance premiums and to cover any claims not otherwise covered by insurance policies, including those related to physical injury, harassment and sexual misconduct,” the organization said in a Press release earlier that month.
In the aftermath of the culture revelations, several of Hockey Canada’s major sponsors, including BFL, suspended their sponsorships.
At RIMS Canada 2023, Hockey Canada shared how it has sought to update its approach to sports safety, including through additional screening process scrutiny and the adoption of a universal code of conduct.
“I don’t care how good you are [on the ice], you need to meet the values and ethics of the organization first and foremost, and then your skills will hopefully be there as well,” Hockey Canada vice president, sport safety Natasha Johnston told attendees.
