The NHL will release findings of investigation into Hockey Canada sex Assault allegations

DENVER, COLO. — NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league will release its findings after it completes its investigation into eight players allegedly involved in a 2018 sex assault incident.

“Unless the only access we have to certain information would prohibit us from doing that but, in the ordinary course, we try to be transparent,” Bettman said.

The players were not in the NHL at the time. They were members of that year’s Canadian world junior hockey team celebrating at a Hockey Canada Foundation event in London.

“We’ve been in touch with the (NHL) Players Association. They’ve been extremely co-operative to this point in facilitating and arranging interviews with each of the players, ”NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said. “We expect to be able to interview each of the players on that team. And we’ve also been in contact with Hockey Canada, as well. So it’s underway. ”

Bettman said the league only became aware of the incident after TSN reported a Settlement in the case that was Filed April 20.

“We didn’t know anything about it until then,” Bettman said. “And again, as we conduct the investigation, you have allegations from an Anonymous party against eight Anonymous parties. This is a challenging situation. ”

The allegations against the players were never proven in court and none of the defendants Filed a response. The plaintiff asked a judge to award $ 3.55 million. The amount of the Settlement is unknown.

But the Settlement raised eyebrows in Ottawa, and is now the subject of an investigation by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. Outgoing Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney, President and COO Scott Smith, former Director of Risk Management for Hockey Canada Glen McCurdie, and David Andrews, Chair of the Hockey Canada Foundation Board of Directors, will be asked to appear before the committee Monday in a session to be made public.

Hockey Canada has said no taxpayer money was involved in the Settlement.

Bettman and Daly made their comments Wednesday, just hours before the Puck dropped on the Stanley Cup final.

Bettman painted a Rosy picture of a league that is “returning to normal” in putting the Pandemic behind it and only two or three years away from significant annual rises to the salary cap, set next year at $ 82.5 million (US).

Hockey-related revenue is expected to exceed $ 5.2 billion for the first time in league history. The 2022-23 season will open on Oct. 11.

“That all sounds pretty normal and normal after the last two and a half years feels pretty great,” Bettman said.

Some Highlights:

No Cup for Russia

Daly said the Stanley Cup would not accompany players to either Russia or Belarus this year, the NHL’s response to Russia’s war on Ukraine, aided by Belarus. The Lightning and Avalanche have players from Russia and each player traditionally gets a day with it.

“We made both clubs aware already with respect to this summer – the Cup is not going to Russia,” Daly said. “So to the extent we may own a Cup trip in the future, that can happen just like we’ve done with the Pandemic. But it’s not happening this summer. ”

No games in Quebec City

Before he died, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk had started to look into whether his team might play a few games in Quebec. The idea is off the table, with the team now in the hands of his two daughters.

“The franchise is completely stable and functioning,” Bettman said. “And I know that the Senators are involved in a process in an attempt to see what the opportunity might be for a new arena in LeBreton Flats.” That’s much closer to Ottawa’s downtown than the current rink in Suburban Kanata.

World Cup target

The league continues to work toward the World Cup of Hockey in 2024, preferably in February. Some of the European Leagues have issues with the timing.

LTIR intact

The league’s board of governors is not going to discuss changes to how teams put players on a long-term injected reserve, a cap-relief tool in the collective bargaining agreement that some believe is being used to stockpile players in the regular season.

“As the facts played out over the course of the end of the season, I think the fears that were out there in the media with respect to how the cap is being Manipulated didn’t come to fruition,” Daly said. “The fact of the matter is our regular season is so important, the Clubs don’t have the luxury really to mess with the rosters down the stretch.”

Kane investigation

The league is having trouble scheduling its arbitrator to rule on the justifiability of San Jose terminating Evander Kane’s contract mid-season for violating COVID Protocols regarding travel. It probably won’t be resolved before the free agency opens July 13, a potential issue for the Sharks’ salary cap.

SHARE: