Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal case moves forward in court: Pre-trial motions scheduled

The Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal case involving five former 2018 World Juniors hockey players has made significant progress as the London court scheduled pre-trial motions.

The players, identified as current NHLers Carter Hart of Philadelphia Flyers, Dillon Dube of Calgary Flames, Cal Foote of Syracuse Crunch, and Michael McLeod of Binghamton Devils, along with former NHL forward Alex Formenton, face charges of sexual assault stemming from an incident following a Hockey Canada event in June 2018.

According to journalist Rick Westhead, who posted on his X account,

"New: Lawyers for the five former 2018 World Juniors hockey players charged with sexual assault appeared virtually in a London court this afternoon."

This appearance signals the progression of legal proceedings in the case.

Westhead's report details that during the court session, a judge instructed the lawyers to file pre-trial motions before October 23rd. These motions are super important because they set the course for the trial and deal with all sorts of legal stuff related to the case.

Alison Craig, a Toronto attorney not affiliated with the case, provided insights into the potential nature of these pre-trial motions. She stated,

"Pre-trial motions may include attempts by the defence to introduce the complainant's text messages, and relevant social media posts, should they exist."

Craig further explained,

"The defence would also need the approval of the judge to try to obtain any medical records related to therapy, if they exist."

Moreover, Westhead's report suggests that motions related to the admissibility of evidence obtained through Hockey Canada's third-party investigation are likely to be filed by both the prosecution and the defense.

Some of the players might have gone through the process thinking they wouldn't get charged, which makes you wonder if some of the evidence is even legit.

Also, a lawyer for one of the players told the court they're still waiting for the cops to hand over all the evidence they've gathered, which they call "discovery."

Westhead noted that the next hearing date in the case is scheduled for May 14th, where trial scheduling will take place.

The incident involving Hockey Canada players

In April 2022, a woman filed a lawsuit accusing Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), and eight unnamed CHL players of sexual assault in a London hotel room in June 2018, following the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

She encountered one player, referred to as John Doe 1, at a bar, where he provided alcohol. They proceeded to his hotel room, where sexual acts occurred. Allegedly, John Doe 1 then invited the other John Does into the room without her consent, leading to further assaults.

The woman asserted that she was too intoxicated to consent, and despite her attempts to leave, the group prevented her from doing so. She accused Hockey Canada of negligence, claiming they were aware of the situation but took no action. Hockey Canada countered, stating they reported the allegations to the police and initiated an independent investigation by Henein Hutchison LLP.