Five skaters were ordered to turn themselves in to London police on Wednesday as part of the sexual assault scandal involving several players from the 2018 edition of Junior Team Canada (JCT). Now the identity of one of them has been revealed.
According to the Globe and Mail's Robyn Doolittle, former Ottawa Senators forward Alex Formenton turned himself in to London police on Sunday morning along with lawyers Daniel Brown and Lindsay Board.
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“London police have charged several players, including Alex Formenton, in connection with an allegation made in 2018,” Formenton’s legal team said in a statement. Alex will vigorously defend his innocence and asks people not to rush to judgment without hearing all the evidence.”
During a gala organized by Hockey Canada in London in June 2018 to highlight the gold medal won by ÉCJ the previous winter, the alleged facts occurred.
Eight players are said to have sexually assaulted a woman that night. His father-in-law reportedly informed the association about the incident and an internal investigation was launched. The London police also launched their own investigation.
The victim then filed a lawsuit, but thanks to a reserve fund from Hockey Canada, everything was settled out of court with financial compensation of $3.55 million.
Formenton has not played in the National Hockey League (NHL) since the 2021-2022 season. He has been playing in Switzerland for the Ambri-Piotta club since 2022. Earlier this week, his team gave him permission to take an indefinite leave of absence to return to Canada.
In addition to Formenton, four other players who have not yet been identified were called to report to London police station on Wednesday. The city administration has also announced that it will hold a press conference on the issue on February 5th.
The 24-year-old was selected by Ottawa in the second round in 2017. He has 23 goals and 16 assists for 39 points in 109 NHL games.