Formenton, a former player for the Ottawa Senators, is featured in a faceoff against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Nevada on March 6, 2022, as captured by Stephen R. Sylvanie of USA TODAY Sports/Reuters.
Alex Formenton, a former player for the Canadian world junior hockey team and a former member of the Ottawa Senators currently playing in Switzerland, is facing charges in London, Ontario, according to his lawyer on Sunday.
Formenton, accompanied by his legal representatives Daniel Brown and Lindsay Board, remained silent as he arrived at London police headquarters on Sunday morning. Lead counsel Daniel Brown stated via email, "The London Police have charged several players, including Alex Formenton, in connection with an accusation made in 2018. Alex will vigorously defend his innocence and asks that people not rush to judgment without hearing all the evidence."
The charges stem from a report in The Globe and Mail last week, citing two unnamed sources, linking the charges to an alleged group sexual assault of a woman in a London hotel room in 2018. It is important to note that none of these allegations have been proven in court, and CBC News has not independently verified The Globe and Mail's reporting.
Players from the 2018 World Junior team have sought and been granted leaves of absence from their NHL and European teams this week. However, the London Police have not disclosed the names of the accused individuals. London Police spokesperson Matthew Dawson mentioned in an email on Sunday that updates would be provided at a press conference scheduled for February 5, 2024.
Formenton's agent has not responded to inquiries at the time of reporting.
The alleged incident is said to have occurred following a Hockey Canada gala in June 2018, where players were honoured for their victory at that year's world junior tournament. Court documents from 2022 revealed that London police believed they had reasonable grounds to accuse five players of sexually assaulting a young woman in a hotel room.
The case was initially closed in 2018 but was reopened in 2022 in response to public outrage following a lawsuit. The alleged victim, identified as "E.M." in court documents, sued eight unnamed players, Hockey Canada, and the Canadian Hockey League for over $3.5 million. Hockey Canada settled that lawsuit.
The revelation that Hockey Canada maintained a fund funded by minor hockey fees to cover uninsured liabilities, including those related to sexual assaults, led to widespread criticism of the sports governing body. This prompted parliamentary hearings that questioned Hockey Canada's governance and transparency.
During one of the 2022 hearings, a Hockey Canada official disclosed that the organization had paid out $7.6 million in nine settlements related to sexual abuse and assault since 1989, excluding the London incident.
In light of these developments, support for individuals who have experienced sexual assault is available through crisis lines and local support services, as provided by the Government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. In cases of immediate danger, individuals are urged to call 911.
