2018 Canada world junior team member Alex Formenton turns self into London Police to face sexual assault charges

Last week, five members of the 2018 Canadian World Junior team were ordered to surrender themselves to London Police Services and be charged in connection to an incident in June 2018 in which a woman was allegedly sexually assaulted at a hotel after an event hosted by Hockey Canada.

Former NHLer Alex Formenton is the first of the five players reported to come forward.

According to The Globe and Mail, Formenton turned himself in to London, Ontario police Sunday morning.

The former Ottawa Senator was granted a leave of absence by his Swiss National League team, HC Ambri-Piotta, last week.

Formenton arrived to police headquarters flanked by Daniel Brown and Lindsay Board, two high-profile criminal defense lawyers.

“The London Police have charged several players,” Formenton’s legal team said in a statement. “Including Alex Formenton, in connection with an accusation made in 2018. Alex will vigorously defend his innocence and asks that people not rush to judgment without hearing all of the evidence.”

Formenton played for the Senators, along with the American Hockey League affiliate, the Belleville Senators, from 2018 to 2022. The former London Knight has spent the last two seasons in Switzerland.

There were four other players from the 2018 Canadian team that were granted leaves of absence last week. The Calgary Flames’ Dillon Dube took an indefinite leave of absence to deal with his mental health, and Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart took an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons. Cal Foote and Michael McLeod were both granted leaves by the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.

None of the allegations has been tested in court, and it is not yet known if the remaining four players have surrendered yet, nor have their identities been confirmed.

London Police initially investigated the alleged sexual assault and closed the case without charges in 2019. However, the alleged victim filed a civil suit in court, which TSN reported in May 2022 was quietly settled by Hockey Canada for $3.55 million dollars, embroiling the organization in controversy.

According to the lawsuit, the woman met the players in a bar after the Hockey Canada Foundation & Golf event on June 18, 2018. She arrived at the bar at approximately 11:00 p.m. and met one of the players, referred to as John Doe 1, who purchased her alcoholic beverages and introduced her to his teammates, who bought her shots and other alcoholic beverages. The woman, who, according to the claim, had slurred speech, glassy eyes and a loss of balance as a result of her intoxication, was eventually separated from her friends and went to the Delta Amouries Hotel with John Doe 1.

After the woman and John Doe 1 “engaged in sexual acts,” she alleges that he invited seven additional members of the team into the hotel room without her knowledge or consent. The claim states that, in the hours that followed, John Does 1-8 engaged in several sexual acts “which collectively constituted sexual abuse and assault of the plaintiff.” The claim stated the actions of John Does 1-8 “caused terror and fear” in the woman’s mind and that she did not give consent to any of the actions because she was so intoxicated.

The claim also states that the woman was “intimidated by the number of men and the fact they brought golf clubs to the room.”

London Police have scheduled a press conference for Monday, Feb. 5 to share further details about the investigation.