Four members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team, including Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart, Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube, New Jersey Devils forward Michael McLeod, and defenseman Cal Foote, are facing charges of sexual assault related to an incident that took place in London, Ontario in 2018.

The players’ lawyers have released statements acknowledging the charges and asserting their clients’ innocence. They emphasized that none of the evidence has been presented or tested in court yet and urged the public to respect their clients’ privacy. Furthermore, they stated that their clients will plead not guilty and vigorously defend themselves.

Alex Formenton, a former Ottawa Senators player, had previously been identified as one of the players charged in the case.

The charges are a result of an alleged sexual assault of a woman by multiple players in a London hotel room on June 19, 2018, following a Hockey Canada Foundation event.

The woman had initially filed a lawsuit against Hockey Canada in April 2022, publicly revealing the allegations. The lawsuit was settled in May 2022, prompting the London police, Hockey Canada, and the NHL to reopen their investigations into the incident.

Both the NHL and NHLPA have declined to comment on the situation.

In related news, both Hart and Dube had taken indefinite leaves of absence from their teams earlier, citing personal reasons and mental health. This was prior to the pending charges coming to light. The Calgary Flames clarified in a statement that they were unaware of the charges when Dube requested his leave of absence.

McLeod and Foote, on the other hand, had also requested and were granted indefinite leaves of absence from the New Jersey Devils last week. The team did not provide further comment regarding the situation.

To provide updates on the case, the London police have scheduled a news conference for February 5.

Stay tuned to Insider Wales Sport for further developments in this ongoing story.