The landscape of Canadian hockey has been marred by a scandal.
Four players currently on NHL rosters, who were implicated in the allegations, have not been offered new contracts by their respective teams.
This decision comes in the wake of charges filed earlier this year and ongoing investigations that followed a lawsuit alleging sexual assault by members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team.
In February, charges were filed in London, Ontario, against five players connected to the allegations.
The players took a leave of absence from their teams.
The Philadelphia Flyers' goaltender Carter Hart, the New Jersey Devils' Michael McLeod and Cal Foote, and Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube found themselves without qualifying offers, rendering them free agents.
The scandal took root from a lawsuit filed in 2022 by a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by eight members of the Canadian team after a fundraising gala in London in 2018.
Hockey Canada settled the lawsuit, prompting further investigations.
Hockey Canada maintained two secret funds to resolve claims of sexual assault and abuse.
The alleged incident occurred on June 19, 2018, at the Delta Hotel London Armouries.
A woman, then 20 years old, claimed that a player, referred to as "John Doe #1," took her to a hotel room and invited seven other men to perform undisclosed sexual acts.
She contended that the men intimidated her and prevented her from leaving.
The men directed her to take a shower and asked her to state on video that she was sober.
London Police were alerted later on June 19, 2018, by a relative of the victim, initiating an investigation that was closed in 2019 without charges.
The lawsuit's filing in 2022 spurred a reopening of the investigation, leading to charges against five team members.
Alex Formenton, formerly an NHL player and now with the Swiss club HC Ambri-Piotta, has also been charged with sexual assault.
The NHL launched its own investigation into the matter in 2022.
The four NHL players involved were on paid leave from their teams until the end of this month.
Their release into free agency now leaves their professional futures uncertain as they await the legal outcomes.
The repercussions of this scandal have ricocheted through Canadian hockey, highlighting the pressing need for organizational introspection and reform.
“for all the charges we have reasonable grounds for.” (Detective Sgt. Katherine Dann from the London Police)