Hockey Canada Bans 2018 World Junior Team Members From National Team Events

Members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior Championship team will not be permitted to participate in national team programs until an investigation into an alleged gang sexual assault has been completed, according to TSN’s Rick Westhead .

In a statement from Hockey Canada to TSN, a spokesperson said Hockey Canada made the decision earlier this year to ban these players from events until the investigation into the process is complete. .

This bars players from taking part in the 2023 Men’s World Championship, scheduled for Latvia and Finland from May 12-28. The 2018 squad players include Cale Makar, Carter Hart, Drake Batherson, Alex Formenton, Robert Thomas, and Jordan Kyrou, among others. No players have been named to the 2023 Senior Men’s roster.

Hockey Canada has come under scrutiny for its handling of cases involving players from Canada’s 2003 and 2018 junior teams. In May 2022, a woman settled a $3.55 million lawsuit against Hockey Canada, the CHL and eight former CHL players surrounding the 2018 team.

An unnamed woman has alleged that she was sexually assaulted by members of Canada’s junior world team, with London, Ont. the police initially closed the case without pressing charges. Henein Hutchinson, a litigation firm, conducted its own investigation, which Hockey Canada received in December, according to Westhead. For the moment, nothing has been proven in court and no guilty player has been named.

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage passed a motion on Monday asking Hockey Canada to submit the report.

Many of Hockey Canada’s biggest sponsors, including Nike, Canadian Tire, Telus, Scotiabank and Tim Hortons, have suspended or pulled out of support activities for men’s teams altogether, among other measures. Hockey Canada recently hosted the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Championships and will host the Women’s World Championship in Brampton next month.