Photo Credit: USA Today
“At this stage the most responsible and prudent thing for us to do is await the conclusion of the judicial proceedings, at which point we will respond as appropriate at the time,” Commissioner of Hockey Gary Bettman said during his media availability in Toronto for the All-Star game.
All five players involved in the Hockey Canada incident, to include Carter Hart, are all on indefinite leave from their respective teams. Bettman said the league does not consider it necessary to suspend the players without pay for the rest of the season, seeing that there is a judicial process on-going. However, Bettman did state that he would be surprised if one of them plays with a team with the judicial proceedings still pending.
Bettman stated that the NHL first found out about the allegations on May 26, 2022. He said each player has been interviewed as part of the investigation, and he added that the woman involved declined to take part in their investigation.
The five charged with the alleged sexual assault had their first court appearance a few weeks ago, and they went back to court on February 28, 2024. All five were granted a trial by jury, and they will be tried together as a group, rather than during the trials individually one by one. This way it saves time, as the trials can last up until 2026 possibly.
The London, Ontario police department, also did shed some light on the on-going proceedings a few weeks ago. London Police said that new evidence was used in the new investigation, in addition to the evidence used in the case that was closed in 2019. London Police Chief Thai Truong stated, on June 18, 2018 the five charged met the victim downtown in London at a bar. Originally, the case was closed due to insufficient evidence, until July, 2022, “We have found sufficient evidence to charge Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Michael Mcleod, Cal Foote, and Dillon Dube.”
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In addition, London Police Chief on the 2018 Hockey Canada Sexual Assault involving Carter Hart and four others:
“My sincerest apology to the victim and her family for the amount of time to reach this point.”
London Police Chief Thai Truong: “I can tell you the victim was very cooperative from the start.”
This obviously will be a lengthy process and it appears that Carter Hart will not play for the Flyers again this season, or ever possibly. Stay with us for all the up to date coverage in the 2018 Hockey Canada Sexual Assault case.
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