Current:Home > BackGary Bettman calls Canada 2018 junior hockey team sexual assault allegations 'abhorrent'-LoTradeCoin
Gary Bettman calls Canada 2018 junior hockey team sexual assault allegations 'abhorrent'
View Date:2024-12-24 10:57:35
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday he has used the words "abhorrent, reprehensible, horrific and unacceptable" to describe the sexual assault allegations against five members of the 2018 Canadian world junior championship team "and those words still apply."
The Philadelphia Flyers' Carter Hart, New Jersey Devils' Michael McLeod and Cal Foote, Calgary Flames' Dillon Dube and former NHL player Alex Formenton have been charged with sexual assault, their lawyers told the Associated Press. The alleged incident took place in June 2018 after a Hockey Canada gala in London, Ontario, honoring the country's gold-medal-winning team.
The police plan to hold a news conference at 2 p.m. ET on Monday.
The police and Hockey Canada reopened investigations after Canadian network TSN reported in May 2022 that Hockey Canada paid an undisclosed settlement to a woman who alleged in a $3.55 million lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted by eight players in a hotel room.
OLYMPICS: NHL agrees to send players in 2026 and 2030
The NHL launched its own external investigation, too, and had interviewed all of the 2018 team's players but weren't given permission to interview the woman, Bettman said.
The league was discussing the results of its 12-month investigation with the NHL Players' Association when the news came out about the pending charges in Ontario.
“If charges are pending, it would be inappropriate to provide further comment on the matter," Bettman said.
He added: “All of the NHL players who appear to be subject to the indictment are no longer with their teams, and so 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."
The five players were granted indefinite leave from their teams. The four accused NHL players are in the final years of their contracts.
"I would be surprised if they’re playing while this is pending," Bettman said.
He said the alleged incident isn't an indication of a systemic issue in hockey.
“This is not representative, these allegations, of what takes place in our game and we’re committed to setting the right example and cooperating with hockey organizations at all levels, particularly the youth level, to make sure the message of what is appropriate conduct is delivered," he said. "We want people to know that our games is inclusive, welcoming and safe.”
veryGood! (1254)
Related
- When is 'The Golden Bachelorette' finale? Date, time, where to watch Joan Vassos' big decision
- It’s a fine line as the summer rainy season brings relief, and flooding, to the southwestern US
- Biden cancels speech at teachers union convention in Philadelphia after union staff goes on strike
- 'Dangerous' heat wave settles over California and Oregon, expected to last days
- Wall Street makes wagers on the likely winners and losers in a second Trump term
- Jenn Tran never saw herself as a main character. Now she’s the first Asian 'Bachelorette'
- Vanessa Hudgens gives birth to first baby with husband Cole Tucker: 'Happy and healthy'
- Hailey Welch, aka the 'Hawk Tuah girl,' learns firsthand what it means to go viral
- Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands
- Olivia Culpo Reacts to Critic’s Comments on Wedding Makeup
Ranking
- Mississippi Valley State football player Ryan Quinney dies in car accident
- Judge says Nashville school shooter’s writings can’t be released as victims’ families have copyright
- What happened at Possum Trot? Remarkable story shows how we can solve America's problems.
- Boil water advisory issued for all of D.C., Arlington County due to algae blooms
- The Daily Money: All about 'Doge.'
- Brooke Burke says women in their 50s must add this to their workouts
- Football fireworks: Five NFL teams that could be more explosive in 2024
- 8 wounded at mass shooting in Chicago after Fourth of July celebration
Recommendation
-
‘Emilia Pérez’ wouldn’t work without Karla Sofía Gascón. Now, she could make trans history
-
LaVar Arrington II, son of Penn State football legend, commits to Nittany Lions
-
One dies after explosion at Arkansas defense weapons plant
-
2 dead, 3 injured after stabbing at July 4th celebration in Huntington Beach, California
-
DWTS' Sasha Farber Claps Back at Diss From Jenn Tran's Ex Devin Strader
-
Beryl set to strengthen on approach to Texas due to hot ocean temperatures
-
Biden heads into a make-or-break stretch for his imperiled presidential campaign
-
Power boat crashes into Southern California jetty, killing 1 and injuring 10