Investigation in yet another alleged sexual assault involving 4 players takes an ugly turn!

TSN’s Rick Westhead has reported yet another alleged sexual assault, this time in the Central Canada Hockey League. His latest report first explains how an alleged sexual assault involving at least four hockey players who have connections to the Brockville Braves Junior A team has raised many questions from the team’s owner about Hockey Canada’s jurisdiction to investigate such incidents.

The co-owner Dustin Traylen has told TSN that “that the allegations are connected to an incident that took place at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., in the spring of 2024, following the conclusion of the team’s 2023-24 season. Brockville is an hour drive north of Kingston and the Braves play in the eight-team Central Canada Hockey League.”

The ITP suspended two Brockville Braves Junior A players after receiving the complaint in December from a woman who said she was sexually assaulted at Queen’s University by at least four hockey players with ties to the Braves. Four months later, Traylen claims the ITP has overstepped its jurisdiction, adding that because the incident occurred following the hockey season, the ITP ought to have referred the case to local police.

From Westhead’s report on TSN:

When Hockey Canada became a full signatory to the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) in 2022, the federation agreed to cede oversight of complaints related to incidents on national teams to the OSIC and to establish a new Independent Third Party (ITP) to handle maltreatment complaints, including serious allegations of abuse when they arise, at other levels of hockey.

Traylen said he was notified by the ITP on Dec. 6 that two players on his roster would be suspended pending the results of its investigation of the incident. (Two other players facing allegations did not return to Brockville this season. One player retired from hockey and another is now playing in the U.S.)

Now, as the complainant and respondents await the investigation findings, Traylen is raising questions about the ITP’s jurisdiction. He says police have the proper expertise to investigate such matters and that the ITP should have referred the case to police since the alleged assault did not occur during the hockey season.

There is no police investigation into the incident, a person familiar with the matter told TSN.

With Westhead putting out Traylen’s claims that the police should handle the investigation, Kingston police reminder victims and witnesses that they take all allegations of criminal offences seriously and encouraged the complainant to report the incident.

Traylen, who is also attempting to support his players, explained that the players who have been accused have been refused proper mental health support and that he is concerned for their well-being.

“One of these boys has dropped 30 pounds and is gaunt and pale,” Traylen said. “It has taken a physical and emotional toll on him. It’s been a complete beating.”

In a statement to TSN, Jahmiah Ferdinand-Hodkin, a manager of Hockey Canada’s ITP, wrote that while it would not comment on individual cases, “a jurisdiction assessment is conducted on all files and some complaints pertaining to allegations of conduct that occur outside of Hockey Canada-sanctioned activities can fall within our jurisdiction, particularly where they bring the sport or the organization into disrepute.”

Ferdinand-Hodkin wrote that in cases where complaints contain allegations that could be subject to criminal investigation, the ITP contacts local police to ensure it is not interfering with their investigation.

She also wrote that the ITP has the discretion to impose interim sanctions based on the severity of the allegations.

“The ITP and all professionals involved in complaint processes comply with their reporting obligations to law enforcement as appropriate,” she wrote.

When it comes to the players and the suspensions, the co-owner confirmed that “one of the Brockville players had his suspension lifted for three days so he could participate in training camp before a high-level tournament. But when the ITP was asked by another player’s mother in March to temporarily lift her son’s suspension so he could watch the Braves’ final regular-season game, the request was refused.”

Traylen has concluded his interview with TSN by saying that the families of the two suspended players are now considering a lawsuit against Hockey Canada.

This comes as we are just weeks away from the trial of the sexual assault case involving five 2018 World Junior players, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Michael McLeod. All five have been charged with one count of sexual assault, with McLeod also facing an additional charge (being party to the offence) in the 2018 World Junior alleged sexual assault. It’s alleged the incident occurred following a Hockey Canada gala in Ontario in June 2018, when the players were honoured for their victory at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

An already messy and disturbing situation is getting worse… Something has to change!