WARNING: This article contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
New Jersey Devils centre Michael McLeod faces two charges in connection with an alleged sexual assault in 2018 in London, Ont., that has also led to one charge each against four other players who were members of Canada’s World Junior hockey team.
CBC News has obtained court documents that show the London Police Service (LPS) formally charged McLeod on Wednesday with one count of sexual assault and one count of being party to the offence, on or about June 19, 2018.
McLeod’s Devils teammate, Cal Foote, was charged Sunday, the same day Alex Formenton, 24, a former NHL player now playing in Switzerland, showed up at LPS headquarters to be charged with sexual assault.
Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers was charged Friday. Dillon Dubé of the Calgary Flames was charged on Monday.
All of the accused are due in a London court on Monday, the same day London police are expected to hold a news conference.
The five players have defended their innocence through their lawyers, who confirmed their clients will plead not guilty. McLeod, Dubé, Foote and Hart, all 25, are on leave from their NHL teams.
Background on the case
It’s alleged the incident occurred following a Hockey Canada gala in the southwestern Ontario city in June 2018, when the players were honoured for their victory at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
Court documents from 2022 revealed London police believed they had reasonable grounds to accuse five players of sexually assaulting a young woman in a hotel room.
In a statement of claim, the complainant, known as E.M. in the court documents, alleged she went to a player’s hotel room at the Delta Armouries after the gala and engaged in sexual acts with him.
The statement of claim alleged that at some point, the player allowed seven others to enter the room without her “knowledge or consent.”
Over several hours, according to the statement of claim, the group of…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CBC | NHL News…