Sign in Subscribe
Canadian Hockey Association

NHL Players Charged with Sexual Assault Seek to Avoid Court by Claiming Fading Hockey Hopes

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As part of their successful applications to skip non-essential hearings, five former NHL players who stand criminally charged with a 2018 group sexual assault have provided statements to court about their diminishing hockey prospects. The players, who include Mike McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, and Alex Formenton, have submitted affidavits claiming that attending court in Canada would hinder their ability to continue playing professionally.

Key Takeaways:

  • The five accused players are seeking to avoid attending non-essential pretrial hearings due to their commitments to playing professionally abroad.
  • Two players are currently playing for hockey teams in Kazakhstan and Belarus, while two others are training full-time to secure paid hockey work.
  • A fifth player is apprenticing in the construction trade, driving heavy equipment, and claims that he needs time to learn.
  • The players have attested that attending court in Canada would compromise their ability to compete at a high level and jeopardize their professional hockey careers.
  • Affidavits from the players highlight the difficulties they face in balancing their hockey commitments with their obligations to attend court, citing significant time zone differences and conflicting schedules.
  • The Crown did not oppose the players' applications to skip hearings, with Justice Bruce Thomas granting permission for the players to be absent due to "compelling economic reasons" and the need to attend to their hockey commitments.
  • Each accused player has sworn an affidavit, with Mr. Formenton stating that he needs time to transition to a new line of work and Mr. McLeod citing the challenges of balancing his KHL job in Kazakhstan with court proceedings in Canada.
  • The players have committed to personally attending each day of their trial once the pretrial hearings are finished, with lawyers representing each accused during the pretrial phases.

Statistics:

  • 5: The number of former NHL players charged with a 2018 group sexual assault who have applied to skip non-essential hearings.
  • 2: The number of players currently playing professionally in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Kazakhstan and Belarus.
  • 2: The number of players training full-time to secure paid hockey work.
  • 1: The number of players apprenticing in the construction trade, driving heavy equipment.
  • 30: The number of court days scheduled for pretrial hearings that will last until January.
  • 2025: The expected year when a jury will be convened for the players' trial.

Sources:

  • The Globe and Mail
  • Justice Bruce Thomas's ruling from August
  • Affidavits from Mike McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, and Alex Formenton

Read more