Former NHL player Formenton turns himself in over sexual assault allegations
Former NHL player Alex Formenton turned himself in to police on Sunday in connection with an investigation into an alleged sexual assault by several members of the 2018 Canadian junior team.
Formenton’s legal team confirmed to the Associated Press that police in London, Ontario, have charged Formenton and several other players. Attorney Daniel Brown did not say what charges Formenton was facing.
“Alex will vigorously defend his innocence and asks that people not rush to judgment without hearing all the evidence,” Brown said in a statement.
Formenton is a former Ottawa Senators player who now plays in Europe. His Swiss team, HC Ambri-Piotta, said he had been given an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons and allowed to return to Canada.
London police have scheduled a press conference for February 5 to discuss the situation, but declined to comment further. A spokesperson said Sunday that police “will provide any updates at our press conference.”
In May 2022, it was reported that Hockey Canada paid an undisclosed settlement to a woman who alleged in a lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted by eight players, including members of the country’s world junior team, after a gala in 2018. Earlier in 2022, executives said of Hockey Canada told a parliamentary committee that the organization had secretly paid nearly $9 million ($6.7 million) to 21 complainants of sexual misconduct.
Media reports later revealed that young players across the country had unknowingly funded the payments through their registration fees to Hockey Canada. According to reporting by the Globe and Mail, Hockey Canada also failed to inform Parliament about the existence of a second secret fund to finance legal efforts to fend off claims of sexual abuse.
Canada has been plagued by reports of abuse in a number of sports beyond hockey, including gymnastics, football and water polo.
“Abuse is a dirty hidden secret in sports and what people see is the tip of the iceberg,” Kirsty Duncan, a former deputy leader in Canada’s House of Commons, told the Guardian last year.
Formenton, 24, made 109 appearances for the Senators from the 2017/18 to 2021/22 season before his contract was not renewed and he headed abroad.