Report: Five members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team to face sexual assault charges
The players facing charges were not named in the report by the Globe and Mail, Canada's most widely read newspaper. Flyers goaltender Carter Hart was a member of that 2018 team.
Five players from the 2018 Canadian World Junior team are set to face sexual assault charges, according to a report Wednesday from the Globe and Mail.
The players reportedly have been told to surrender to police in London, Ontario, after multiple investigations into the case over the last five years. The pending charges stem from an alleged sexual assault after a Hockey Canada banquet in London celebrating the team’s gold medal. A woman alleges that she was assaulted by a group of players from the hockey team in a hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018.
» READ MORE: Flyers goalie Carter Hart to take indefinite leave of absence
Both London police and Hockey Canada (via a third-party firm) opened investigations into the alleged sexual assault in June 2018. London police closed their criminal investigation in 2019 and Hockey Canada ended its inquiry in 2020. In April 2022, the woman filed a lawsuit against Hockey Canada, the organization that oversees Canadian junior hockey, and eight unnamed players from Canada’s 2018 World Junior team, seeking $3.55 million in damages. In May of that year, TSN reported that Hockey Canada had settled the lawsuit with the woman out of court. Against a backdrop of public outrage and the revelation of other sexual assault allegations tied to members of Hockey Canada, the London police investigation was reopened in July 2022.
The NHL later opened its own investigation into the events from that night, as many of the members of that World Junior team now play in the league. That investigation has been ongoing, with no major updates since it was opened in May 2022.
Flyers goaltender Carter Hart and Lehigh Valley Phantoms defenseman Victor Mete were members of the 2018 Canada World Junior team.
When asked about the investigations in September 2022, Hart said, “I can’t really talk about it right now. I wish I could. I’m respecting the process with the NHL and fully cooperating with their investigation. But that’s all I can really say.”
Hart also declined to discuss the investigations further in September 2023.
The Flyers announced Tuesday that Hart had “requested and been granted an indefinite leave of absence citing personal reasons.” They also announced that the club would have no further comment at the time.
Mete, who signed with the Flyers this past offseason, has been public about cooperating with the investigations. In August 2023, Mete posted on Twitter:
“Earlier today, I was voluntarily interviewed by Hockey Canada investigators looking into sexual assault allegations from 2018 that have dominated the news recently.
Notwithstanding the fact that I was out of the country on vacation when the Incident under investigation occurred, I answered all of Hockey Canada’s questions and fully intend to continue cooperating with police, Hockey Canada, and the NHL in their attempts to get to the truth of this matter.
I have also informed Hockey Canada that they can share a copy of my interview with the police and the NHL to help advance these investigations.”
At his midseason media availability on Wednesday, Flyers general manager Danny Brière opened with a statement on the morning reports into the Hockey Canada investigation.
“We are aware of this morning’s press reports on the very serious matter,” said Brière from the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees. “We will respond appropriately when the outcomes of the investigations are made public. The NHL has been very clear that teams should refer all investigation-related questions to them. In the meantime, members of the organization, including Flyers players, will not be commenting any further. So that’s all we can say at the moment, unfortunately.”
Brière added that Hart did not indicate a reason for his leave of absence.
Hart’s decision to take a leave of absence came just days after another member of the 2018 World Junior team, Calgary’s Dillon Dubé, took a leave of absence, citing his mental health. On Wednesday, Alex Formenton, another member of that junior team, left Swiss professional team HC Ambri Piotta to return to Canada. His Swiss team called the departure an indefinite leave of absence.
On Wednesday, the New Jersey Devils announced that Michael McLeod and Cal Foote, two members of the 2018 Canadian team, were taking leaves of absence as well.
The NHL and NHL Players’ Association have declined to comment at this point. The London police posted on its official website that they plan to hold a press conference on Feb. 5 to share further details.