NHLPA says acquitted hockey players should get to 'return to work' after sex assault verdict
Five former world junior hockey players acquitted in a high-profile sexual assault case will remain ineligible to play in the NHL, according to the league. This move has drawn backlash from the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA), which says the players deserve to return to work.
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On Thursday, in a London, Ont., courtroom, Justice Maria Carroccia found Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Michael McLeod not guilty, more than seven years after an allegation of group sexual assault emerged involving members of the 2018 Canadian world junior hockey team.
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Despite the verdict, the players' conduct is still under review, and they are still sidelined according to a statement from the NHL.
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'The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing and the behavior at issue was unacceptable,' the league said. 'We will be reviewing and considering the judge's findings. While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the League.'
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The decision drew criticism from the NHL Players' Association, which argued that the league was ignoring due process and overstepping its authority under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
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In a statement, the NHLPA said that the players were acquitted of all charges, and that 'after missing more than a full season of their respective NHL careers, they should now have the opportunity to return to work.
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'The NHL's declaration that the Players are 'ineligible' to play pending its further analysis of the Court's findings is inconsistent with the discipline procedures set forth in the CBA.'
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They added, 'we are addressing this dispute with the League and will have no further comment at this time.'
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The case first drew major attention in 2022, when Hockey Canada settled a civil case. It resulted in a broader scandal surrounding Hockey Canada, which triggered widespread scrutiny of how sexual violence is handled in sport, the loss of corporate sponsorships, and forced the resignation of top Hockey Canada executives.
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Since 2022, Hockey Canada has suspended all players involved in the case from sanctioned programming, and those suspensions remain in effect pending the outcome of an internal appeal process.
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In a lengthy statement, Hockey Canada said it would not comment further due to the ongoing appeal of a previous adjudicative panel decision that had examined whether players breached the organization's code of conduct.
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Winnipeg Free Press
41 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Round the horn
A quick trip through my cerebral cortex as we cover a lot of ground: • Not surprisingly, there's been a rush to judgment from the court of public opinion following the not-guilty verdicts handed down today in the Canadian World Junior sexual assault trial. Reactions have ranged from, 'The justice system is completely broken,' to, 'These men were the true victims' — and everything in between. As many of you know, I spent more than two decades sitting inside courtrooms, covering trials like this, albeit most not nearly as high-profile. I feel I can speak from first-hand experience on many of the complex issues at play, but I hesitate to do so for one big reason: I wasn't in the courtroom for a single second of testimony or cross-examination, nor the lengthy and extremely detailed reasons for the decision handed down by Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia. Advertisement Why this ad? We live in an era where everyone with a keypad seems to be an expert on everything. But firing off a hot take just to grab some eyeballs is a dangerous game — one I refuse to play. That said, there are a few things I feel comfortable stating in general terms: 1. Not guilty doesn't always mean innocent. The burden of proof in a criminal trial is incredibly high, and for good reason. Better that a guilty person walks free than an innocent person goes to jail, right? But don't confuse a legal standard with a civil, or even moral, one. There's a big difference, and I've read enough about this case to know these five players are not coming out of this with entirely clean hands. Nor should they. At the very least, their behaviour was vile. 2. Sexual assault cases are especially difficult to prove, particularly in the absence of eyewitnesses or damning evidence like DNA. The proverbial he-said/she-said can be a nightmare for prosecutors, especially if the complainant's story has even minor inconsistencies; the defence will inevitably try to exploit them. It really does feel like an uphill battle. I'm not sure how we change that, short of moving the goalposts on 'beyond a reasonable doubt.' And that, in my view, would be a very slippery slope. 3. Judges are bound by the law and precedent. They aren't trying to make the popular decision, nor are they chasing public favour. That's one of the best aspects of not electing judges in this country, where pandering would be a very real concern. I'm glad our system is set up that way. 4. I wouldn't be surprised if some or all of these five players get a second chance in the NHL, but I wouldn't count on that happening immediately. The league could very well impose additional suspensions, as they've done before with players and owners for 'conduct deemed detrimental.' They're not bound by the criminal justice system, nor should they be. That said, I'd be surprised if any NHL team wants to go near these players right now, even if they are ultimately cleared to return. 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Tennis: Vernon's Vasek Pospisil bounced in final NBO appearance, calls it a career
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Toronto Sun
5 hours ago
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Arseneault opens NBO with straight sets win over Royer
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