Five players on 2018 Canadian junior team reportedly asked to surrender to face sexual assault charges

Five members of Canada’s 2018 World Juniors hockey team have reportedly been told to surrender to police to face sexual assault charges.

The Globe and Mail, citing unnamed sources, is reporting the group of players are being given a set period of time to turn themselves in to London Police Service headquarters in London, Ont.

London Police said in a statement they plan to provide details at a press conference on Feb. 5.

“We understand that there is significant public interest in relation to a sexual assault investigation dating back to 2018. While we are unable to provide an update at this time, we anticipate that the London Police Service will hold a press conference on Monday, February 5, 2024 to share further details.” 

The players surrendering would mark the first time police have laid any charges in a scandal surrounding Hockey Canada that began gathering national media attention nearly two years ago.

The governing body came under a firestorm of criticism when news broke in the spring of 2022 that a woman alleged eight people — including members of the 2018 world junior team — sexually assaulted her in a hotel room following a gala event in London in June 2018.

The woman who made the allegation was seeking more than $3.5 million in damages from Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and the unnamed players. Hockey Canada settled the case for an undisclosed amount.

A year ago, London police filed an application with the Ontario Court of Justice stating they had reasonable grounds to believe five members of the 2018 team had sexually assaulted a woman.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

The NHL opened its own investigation in 2022 and pledged to make those findings public. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press by email Wednesday the league would issue a statement when it is appropriate, adding there’s nothing more he could currently say.

The alleged London incident and further allegations involving the 2003 World Junior team in Halifax led to a period of reckoning for the sport and saw Hockey Canada overhaul their leadership with the organization’s board members and CEO all resigning in the fall of 2022.

The scrutiny also led to most major corporate sponsors and Canada’s provincial member bodies pulling their support for the governing body.

With files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press