Carter Hart Charged With Sexual Assault In 2018 Hockey Canada Investigation
London, Ontario Police charged Carter Hart, and 4 other Hockey Canada players, with sexual assault. The charges are in connection to a 2018 incident involving the Canadian World Juniors team. According to Rick Westhead of TSN, Carter Hart is one of the players charged with sexual assault in connection to an incident with the 2018 Canadian Juniors team. The other NHL players charged are Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, and Cal Foote. Ex-NHLer Alex Formenton also faces charges. And now his lawyers, Savard Foy LLP, have put out a statement confirming the charges, per ABC.
“We act for Carter Hart and confirm he has been charged with one count of sexual assault. He is innocent and will provide a full response to this false allegation in the proper forum, a court of law. Until then, we have no comment.”
Hart requested an indefinite leave of absence from the Flyers, which the team granted on January 23, 2024. The next day, Flyers GM Danny Briere addressed the media but was unable to comment on why Hart was away from the team.
The charges stem from an alleged incident that happened in 2018 with the Canadian World Juniors team. According to court documents, an unnamed woman (referred to as E.M. in the court filings) left the bar with 1 player. After the consensual encounter, that person is alleged to have invited more players into the room to have sex with her, without her consent.
At one point this case was closed because the lead investigator didn’t think there was enough evidence. But then in 2022 Hockey Canada settled a $3.55 million lawsuit with with E.M. The public outcry after that story came out led to Parliamentary hearings, and eventually the investigation was re-opened. Soon after London police filed a 94-page report detailing why they thought there was enough evidence to file charges. Now in 2024, charges have been filed.
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Carter Hart is in his 6th season with the Flyers. This is the final year of his 3-year, $11.9 million contract. He first joined the team in the 2018-2019 season, after they drafted him in 2016.
