Breaking: charges coming for 2018 WJC

[Canucks_fan18]

It's going to take like a yr+ to figure this out. Probably closer to 2yrs.
Hart - RFA in 2024 (signed in 2021)
Dube - RFA in 2024 (signed in 2021)
Foote - RFA in 2024 (signed in 2023)
McLeod - RFA in 2024 (signed in 2023)
(lil sus if you ask me that all these guys deals just happen to end in 2024)

So even if innocent, they won't be under contract, and I doubt a team in the NHL touches them. Maybe a KHL team would?

That's what I thought. I guess it depends on the details and each players role. I guy Carter Hart would as wrong as it is probably still attract some attention because besides one really bad season he has bene pretty good on a bad Philly team.

[2014olympicgold]

I can only see them going overseas for years and coming back if they really repaired their image. Hart maybe, the other 4 are just other players. They aren't super stars, they aren't anything truly special.

Maybe Hart goes into the KHL and becomes a star there and comes back...But I doubt it. The London Police aren't gathering this much evidence over this much time, and charging 5 famous athletes without enough evidence to have a high chance at conviction. The only way these guys get minimal charges is if one squeals on the others and he'll still get charged, just his penalty will be less.

[doulos]

Worst kept secret in hockey but is this the end of all these players career even if found innocent in court?

They will all end up with wonderful careers selling cars with Go Auto.

[Darkwing Puck]

So Calgary really did let Dube hide behind mental health for this. Par for the course for a joke organization.

Funny you should ask.

It is a terrible statement and there's a non-zero chance the Flames will take it down, so here's the text:

We have now become aware of the charge of sexual assault that has been laid against Dillon Dube. We take this matter very seriously. Because the matter is now pending legal proceedings, we will have no further comment at this time.

We had no knowledge of pending charges at the time Dillon’s request for a leave of absence was granted.

I get they had to say something, but...wow. And to claim they didn't know what was going on? Even if by some remarkable chance that's actually true, who is going to believe it?

[Axeman33]

Ya, that's really hard to believe.

[senryu]

Funny you should ask.

It is a terrible statement and there's a non-zero chance the Flames will take it down, so here's the text:


I get they had to say something, but...wow. And to claim they didn't know what was going on? Even if by some remarkable chance that's actually true, who is going to believe it?

No knowledge of pending charges <> no knowledge that charges might be coming. "We had no knowledge of the pending sunrise tomorrow; we can only know that the sun will rise once it actually happens." Semantical nonsense.

[SeaDawg]

Complete bull shit statement by Calgary.

[Darkwing Puck]

No knowledge of pending charges <> no knowledge that charges might be coming. "We had no knowledge of the pending sunrise tomorrow; we can only know that the sun will rise once it actually happens." Semantical nonsense.

That was kind of my thinking. "We knew it was coming because we aren't complete idiots, but no one actually told us, ergo we had no prior knowledge."

[GretzkysMullet]

Worst kept secret in hockey but is this the end of all these players career even if found innocent in court?

They are not "innocent", they have already admitted to gang banging and sexually degrading a young women who thought she was going home with one of the five. They filmed her saying it was consensual and then texted her within days to ask if she had gone to the police. Who does that if they didn't do anything wrong? I find it hard to believe she wasn't at best coerced, and at worst raped. If they are found innocent it will be because the consent part or lack there of is so hard to prove in court, not because they are great guys who didn't do anything wrong. I hope they get everything that is coming to them, truly turns my stomach and reflects horribly on hockey culture.

[rataylor22]

They are not "innocent", they have already admitted to gang banging and sexually degrading a young women who thought she was going home with one of the five. They filmed her saying it was consensual and then texted her within days to ask if she had gone to the police. Who does that if they didn't do anything wrong? I find it hard to believe she wasn't at best coerced, and at worst raped. If they are found innocent it will be because the consent part or lack there of is so hard to prove in court, not because they are great guys who didn't do anything wrong. I hope they get everything that is coming to them, truly turns my stomach and reflects horribly on hockey culture.

Exactly. Found not guilty =/= found innocent. As already stated, I fully expect the court system to once again fail in the realm of sexual assault, but as a society we have more than enough information to form our own opinions.

Well said.

[2014olympicgold]

Ok, so for those wondering about the future of these players.

High chance that Formenton, Hart, Dube, and McLeod can't travel to the States for work during the time between now and the end result of their trial. Foote carries a dual citizenship so he can technically travel. So they aren't playing this yr.

Rick Westhead said a lawyer told him the trials could start in 2026. So we're looking at when they aren't under a contract (unless they sign a new one).

These guys NHL careers are done. If the trial starts 2026, that means THE EARLIEST I can see them playing hockey again would be the 2026-27 season. So that's 2.5yrs off. And, more likely it would be 2027-28 season, so when these guys are closing in on 30yrs old, and 3.5yrs off.

I think these guys are 100% done in the NHL. I think with their history, I doubt any hockey school would take a chance on them. I can't see them being coaches in like a minor league. Anything with kids, there will be a few parents at a minimum being very vocal at it. Then they aren't educated, so they need to go to school to get some degree. If they were smart, over the last 2-3yrs, they were banking money or investing in properties to be a landlord.

[Pengwin7]

Hart - RFA in 2024 (signed in 2021)
Dube - RFA in 2024 (signed in 2021)
Foote - RFA in 2024 (signed in 2023)
McLeod - RFA in 2024 (signed in 2023)
(lil sus if you ask me that all these guys deals just happen to end in 2024)

Speaking simply towards the logistics of draftees > RFAs > UFAs...
Most teams try to "park" their kids for renewal of contracts about 1-2 summers from their UFAs.
Hart (2016 draft) ELC began for 3y in 2018/19, then 3 years to get to end of yr6, still an RFA.
Dube (2016 draft) ELC began for 3y in 2018/19, then 3 years to get to end of yr6, still an RFA.
Foote (2016 draft) ELC began for 3y in 2018/19, then 2yr... then 1yr to park at yr6, still an RFA. (The 2yr was w/TB).
McLeod (2016 draft) ELC began for 3y in 2018/19, then 2yr... then 1yr to park at yr6, still an RFA.

This is probably most common "parking" spot for RFA negotiation - and I don't think it is "sus"... just part of drafting/RFA/UFA planning for GMs.


Other solid (but not long-term signees) guys from 2016 draft will have similar paths, parking for RFA this summer:
Raddysh (CHI), Katchouk (CHI), Fabbro (NAS), Bean (CBJ)... all RFA this summer.
Brett Howden started a year previous, in 2017/18 and he had his RFA last summer (after his yr6). [*VGK showed some iffy-ness there, giving him only 2years and THAT... taking him to his UFA in 2025summer.]
Robert Thomas also started in 2017/18, and had big long-term deal on his RFA last summer (after his yr6).
The outliers were Makar & Batherson, who both signed long-term deals after their 3yr ELC ended.


*Note on Howden:
I do wonder if VGK - knowing a photo existed from "the night of" - that shows Howden with Batherson/McLeod + 2 others... worried them.
I'm sure they asked Howden for disclosure that he wasn't involved... but the short-term deal speaks both to their uncertainty... and... Howden's game... perhaps.
Anyways... I traded Howden in a fantasy league within last year... because I worried too - on both of these accounts.


[btw - I, too, love trying on theories... but sometimes they are just "off". No 'sus' here. Just 6yr ELC(3)+RFA(3) parking summers, for all these guys.]

[2014olympicgold]

So I'm typing out just a quick timeline for my own purposes to see if the contracts are suspicious or not. I picked some random players on the team to kind of add in for the timeline who aren't part of the investigation. But I also figured people would find it interesting so I'll post it:

2016/2017:
McLeod signs ELC in 2016. Expires 2021
Hart signs ELC in 2016. Expires 2021
Jake Bean signs ELC in 2016. Expires 2021
Formenton Signs ELC in 2017 . Expires 2022
Dube Signs ELC in 2017. Expires 2021
Batherson signs ELC in 2017. Expires 2021
Raddysh signs ELC in 2017. Expires 2021
Katchouk signs ELC in 2017. Expires 2021

2018:
Foote signs ELC. Expires 2021 (before the Golf event)
June 18, 2018. The Golf event happened, the assault happened that night (June 19th)
June 19, 2018. EMs mother finds EM crying in the shower and finds out what happened. Mother alerts Hockey Canada, and contact London Police. EM's mother also contacts London Police.
June 20, 2018. Hockey Canada player (the initial player who had sex with EM) texts EM saying she shouldn't talk to London Police.
June 22 2018. EM makes an official complaint with London Police and goes through the rape procedures.

2019:
February Hockey Canada says London Police told them the criminal investigation is closed
Makar signs ELC in 2019. Expires 2021 (College)
Fabbro signs ELC in 2019. Expires 2021 (College)

2020:
Hockey Canada says their investigation is closed. Later said their investigation took 26months (only 10 players participated in the investigation, the participation in the investigation was voluntary)

2021:
Batherson - Signed 6yr deal
Makar - Signed 6yr deal
Raddysh - Signed 3yr deal
Katchouk - Signed 3yr deal
Jake Bean - Signed 3yr deal
Dube - Signed 3yr deal
Hart - Signed 3yr deal
Foote - Signed 2yr deal
McLeod - Signed 2yr deal
Fabbro - Signed 2yr deal

2022:
Complaint filed April 2022. Lawsuit stated 8 unnamed CHL players. The people involved were "players for, and members of the CHL and Hockey Canada, including but not limited to the Canada U20 Men's Junior Team." She's seeking $3.55m in damages
May 2022. Hockey Canada settles lawsuit for an undisclosed amount
News broke May 26 2022
July 2022 the NDA was dropped
Kyrou - Signed 8yr deal in Sept 2022
R.Thomas - Signed 8yr deal in Sept 2022

2023:
Timmins - Signed 2yr deal in Feb 2023
McLeod - Signed 1yr deal in Jul 2023
Foote - Signed 1yr deal in Aug 2023
Fabbro - Signed 1yr deal in Mar 2023

2024:
Formenton, Dube, Foote, McLeod, and Hart are charged with sexual assault

Mete - Signed 1yr deals after his ELC expired (2020)
Steel - Signed 1yr deals after his ELC expired (2021)
Clague - Signed 1yr deals after his ELC expired (2021)
Comtois - After his ELC expired in 2021, he signed a 2yr deal and hasn't signed an NHL deal since

TLDR:
P7 is right about the timeline not being suspicious. But I will still look at McLeod and Foote's deals as red flags. The timing of the Devils GM getting an extension a day before things broke out. I dunno. I'll believe anything that was signed post July 2022 as the teams investigated what happened, or chose not too knowing what they might find.

The Sens are the only team of the accused players that took the moral high road. And there's 3 players on that 2018 team that as of right now, are unknown. Just pointing that out again.

[Dennis]

The Sens are the only team of the accused players that took the moral high road. And there's 3 players on that 2018 team that as of right now, are unknown. Just pointing that out again.

I keep hearing conflicting reports regarding this. The 3 of the 8 that weren't or won't be charged were definitely CHL players but maybe weren't a part of that 2018 WJC team?

[Pengwin7]

(Speculating) I'd guess that the 6/7/8 are non WJC guys.
Probably... when the WJC group came into London,ONT for the gala in summer 2018... some of them probably texted some area/teammate buddies that they'd be in town.
Then those guys probably showed up and partied with them that night.

[*Formenton is probably the most interesting case... as he was a London Knight for the two years of 16/17 and 17/18.
He was also "underage" on night-in-question... so whether he was at Jack's - the location where victim met somebody - is unknown.
But his tie to London OHL team in 17/18 hockey makes him a plausible consideration for the text "invite" to other players that might be in area.]

(Because I like to test my speculations - by typing them and tracking them)
So I'm going to guess there's some non-WJC guys.
One of the original reports said there was "8" - and that two (of the 8) were 1999 birthdays.
Thus far, Formenton is the only of the 1999 birth-years.

So that would leave one more.
The only other two on the WJC 2018 team were Robert Thomas (who made comment that he had "no involvement") and Maxime Comtois ("not involved in any way").
*Comtois played AHL game just three days ago, Jan28.