Gary Bettman, NHL commissioner will allow the judicial process involving four of the league's players accused in a 2018 sexual assault case to play out before making any decisions, as police in Canada prepare for a news conference on the case on Monday.
Bettman addressed the incident publicly for the first time on Friday before star weekend in Toronto.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to the media on Feb. 2, 2024, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
“At this stage, the most responsible and prudent thing we can do is await the conclusion of the judicial process, at which time we will respond as appropriate in due course,” Bettman said.
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“I feel comfortable with the fact that they are away from their teams and not playing. Anyway, they have been paid most of their salary during the year. We are reaching the final stretch in which compensation is paid” . “To the players. That's not the concern. The concern is doing this right.”
Philadelphia Flyers Goalie Carter Hart, Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube, and Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils were the four current NHL players accused of sexual assault.
The charges arose from a 2022 complaint against Hockey Canadawhen an unidentified woman reported she was assaulted by eight members of the gold medal-winning world junior team after a gala event in 2018.
Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart watches the puck during the third period of the team's NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, in St. Paul, Minnesota. (AP Photo/Adam Bettcher)
Former NHL player Alex Formenton, who now plays for a Swiss club, has also been charged. McLeod faces an additional charge of being a party to the crime of sexual assault.
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All four NHL players took indefinite leave from their respective clubs before news of the charges was announced. His lawyers have denied wrongdoing on his behalf.
Bettman, who called the allegations “abhorrent, reprehensible, horrible and unacceptable,” noted that the players involved will not have NHL contracts beyond this current season.
“It becomes irrelevant in terms of momentum,” he said. “They are all out of their teams on leave, and (then) they are all free agents. Anyway, they will not have a contract after this season. To successfully terminate a contract, you need to be able to prove certain things.”
Dillon Dube, number 29 of the Calgary Flames, skates with the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first period of their game at T-Mobile Arena on January 13, 2024 in Las Vegas. The Flames defeated the Golden Knights 3-1. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
A settlement was quickly and quietly reached in 2022, leading to the revelation that Hockey Canada had two secret funds to pay settlements over allegations of sexual assault and abuse.
london police, who brought charges against the five players, dropped their investigation in 2019, but an internal review in July 2022 led to charges being filed last week. The NHL subsequently also launched its own investigation in 2022.
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Authorities will hold a news conference Monday to discuss the case.
Lawyers representing the five players appeared virtually in a London, Ont., courtroom Monday morning. None of the players appeared either virtually or in person. The lawyers agreed to waive the reading of the records and the next court session was scheduled for April 30.
The judge also issued an order prohibiting any of the parties involved from publicly sharing identifiable information about the accuser or key witnesses.
Henry Naccari of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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