Flyers prospect Nick Cousins charged with sexual assault

Center Nick Cousins, regarded as the Flyers' top prospect, was charged with sexual assault and arrested over the weekend, police in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, said Sunday.

Cousins, 19, and two of his Sault Ste. Marie Soo Greyhounds teammates - Mark Petaccio, 18, and Andrew Fritsch, 19 - were charged with sexual assault against a female known to them, according to a release from the Sault Ste. Marie police.

Petaccio, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound right winger, is from Sicklerville, N.J., and he has a bail court date on Monday. Cousins and Fritsch have an Oct. 1 court date.

Each player is accused of having sexual intercourse with an adult female on Friday, according to sudburystar.com.

The Ontario website said the woman reported the incident to police on Saturday.

"We are aware of the unfortunate situation involving Nick Cousins," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement. "Due to lack of information available to us, we will not comment at this time."

Cousins, known for a feisty style of play, was selected by the Flyers in the third round of the 2011 draft. The draft pick was acquired as part of the trade that sent Jeff Carter to Columbus last year. The Flyers also acquired Jake Voracek and a first-round pick that turned out to be Sean Couturier.

The fifth-leading scorer in the Ontario Hockey League with 88 points (35 goals, 53 assists) last season, Cousins signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers in late March and played one game with the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL.

In a statement, the Greyhounds said they would "continue to perform our duty in supporting the three members of our team as they go through the legal process," while pledging to aid the police investigation.

"The strides made over each young man's tenure here are what makes today's situation so surprising," the Greyhounds said in the statement.

Sault Ste. Marie opens its training camp Wednesday.