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Sexual abuse

NHL and Hockey Canada Investigations into World Junior Hockey Team Alleged Assault Continue

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The investigations into five former Canadian world junior hockey players charged with sexual assault after a 2018 celebratory gala in London, Ont., will likely continue after the criminal trial. The National Hockey League and Hockey Canada may impose serious consequences, including exclusion from professional hockey or a ban from playing for Canada again, depending on the outcome of their investigations. The case has brought scrutiny to how sports organizations in Canada proceed with alleged inappropriate behavior and has offered a rare glimpse into how the country's safe sport regime makes decisions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The National Hockey League and Hockey Canada conducted parallel investigations into the allegations of sexual assault against the five former Canadian world junior hockey players.
  • Both organizations held off making final determinations until the end of the trial, after police laid charges in February 2024.
  • The NHL launched its investigation in 2023, but the results were not made public; the league's commissioner, Gary Bettman, denounced the alleged behavior.
  • Hockey Canada commissioned an independent adjudicative panel to hear an appeal of the initial decision, which was granted a motion to adjourn the proceedings until the criminal trial was over.
  • The safe sport regime has other sanctions at its disposal to compel participation in investigations, including lifetime bans or suspension of programs.
  • The threshold for proof in the Canadian safe sport regime is lower than in a criminal trial, with a "balance of probabilities" meaning an investigator must only be at least 51% certain that the alleged behavior occurred.
  • Investigations into behavior under the auspices of national sport organizations are generally kept secret, with only serious sanctions being announced.

Statistics:

  • Five former Canadian world junior hockey players are charged with sexual assault after a 2018 celebratory gala in London, Ont.
  • The NHL investigation concluded in 2023, but the results were not made public.
  • The Hockey Canada investigation was commissioned by lawyer Danielle Robitaille and filed a report in the fall of 2022.
  • The safe sport regime has administered sanctions under the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) for federally funded national sport organizations since 2022.
  • The threshold for proof in the Canadian safe sport regime is 51% certain that the alleged behavior occurred.
  • The London Police Service and Hockey Canada reopened their investigations after a public outcry in July 2022.
  • Justice Bruce Thomas noted that Ms. Robitaille had suspended her investigation in July 2018, resumed it after police determined there weren't sufficient grounds to continue their probe in February 2019, and shut down her inquiry again in September 2020.

Sources:

  • [1] Globe and Mail article: no date provided
  • [2] Justice Bruce Thomas ruling: no date provided
  • [3] Signy Arnason, executive director of safe sport for the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES): no date provided
  • [4] Taylor McKee, director of the Centre for Sport Capacity at Brock University: no date provided
  • [5] Hilary Findlay, retired associate professor of sports management at Brock University, and a founding partner of the consulting firm Sport Law: no date provided

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