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July is typically one of the calmest months of the National Hockey League schedule.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are over. The NHL Draft is in the the rear view mirror. And teams are typically rounding up their development camps with their young players.
But this year is different.
That’s because the league and its teams are currently awaiting the results of longstanding investigation by Hockey Canada and Canadian law enforcement into an alleged sexual assault involving as many as eight players on Canada’s 2018 World Juniors team.
Several team execs, sponsors and player agents tell me they are bracing for the NHL's possible release of an investigation report re an alleged sexual assault involving as many as eight players on Canada's 2018 world juniors team.
If NHL names and suspends players allegedly…— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 13, 2023
Police allege that five members of the 2018 team, who have yet to be identified, were involved in a sexual assault in a hotel room. They also allege that a further three members were present at the time of the assault but did not participate.
“I believe, when taking a global view of the evidence, [E.M.] subjectively believed that she had no alternative but to engage in the [specific sex act(s)]. Further, I believe that each of the suspects knew or ought to have known that [E.M.] had not consented,” Sergeant David Younan wrote in a court filing.
Reports of an end to the investigation have swirled for months. But now it appears that an outcome could finally be on the horizon.
What it means for the teams and league, however, is unclear.
None of the alleged players would have been in the NHL at the time. So it’s unclear whether the NHL would actually have the power to hand down any potential punishment.
Rick Westhead of THE The Sports Network and CTV states that any affected players could and likely would appeal any punishment per the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
Though it’s hard to imagine teams would be willing to take the PR hit of having said players on their rosters.
Either way, it appears we’re quickly closing in on some sort of answer.