Hockey Canada has released a statement regarding a sexual assault allegation from 2003.
This comes as the hockey community grapples with a similar allegation that eight members of the 2018 Canadian World Junior Team sexually assaulted a woman in a London hotel in June of that year.
In a statement released to TSN Friday, Halifax police constable John Macleod wrote that his department received a report late Thursday related to “related to a historical sexual assault that is alleged to have occurred in Halifax in 2003.”
The Heritage Standing Committee is set to reconvene on July 26 and 27 to question Hockey Canada and others about the investigation from 2018. Conservative MP John Nater told Rick Westhead that he plans to question Hockey Canada around the 2003 allegations.
Nater also released a statement on Twitter today.
The NHL released a statement that they were made aware of the allegations earlier today.
The first member of the 2003 team to release a statement was Carlo Colaiacovo. He said he was saddened by the allegations and would cooperate with the investigation.
On Wednesday, a Globe and Mail investigation revealed that Hockey Canada has been keeping a special multimillion-dollar fund. According to the report this fund has been used to pay out settlements in cases of alleged sexual assaults. The report also says that players’ registration fees across the country fund it. Hockey Canada released a statement regarding the National Equity Fund
The Standing Committee questions will begin Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time. The scheduled witnesses for Tuesday are as follows:
Danielle Robitaille from Heinen Hutchison LLP (HC’s investigators),
Sport Canada exec Michel Ruest
Sport Minister Pascale St-Onge
The witnesses scheduled for Wednesday are as follows.
Hockey Canada’s Scott Smith, Tom Renney, and Dave Andrews.
CHL President Dan MacKenzie & commissioners of
WHL Commissioner Ron Robison
OHL Commissioner David Branch
QMJHL Commissioner Gilles Corteau,
Former HC VP Glen McCurdie and Barry Lorenzetti from insurance company BFL Canada.