TEAM CANADA: Insider reveals why players involved in 2018 sexual assault scandal remain anonymous

Fans have been waiting for months now on an official announcement from the NHL vis-a-vis suspensions for players involved in the 2018 sexual assault scandal. It has been reported for month that at least “5 players” will be facing NHL suspensions in the 2018 Team Canada sex scandal. You may recall how news broke that Hockey Canada quietly settled a lawsuit filed by a woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by eight unnamed players, including several members of the country’s 2018 world junior team, following a gala in London, Ontario.

On Wednesday, insider Pierre LeBrun provided an explanation on why the players allegedly involved remain anonymous, saying that the NHLPA is getting involved. This is how LeBrun explained it earlier this week on Insider Trading on TSN:

“What [Gary Bettman] alluded to, we believe in some of our own reporting, is that the league is in discussion with the NHLPA, the players, and agents about trying to get on the same page in what discipline would look like in their role on this incident and I don’t know that they’re going to get on the same page.

"If this doesn’t end up becoming a criminal matter, I think there are probably people involved who don’t want to sign off on their own discipline.

"So, this is a complicated process, as Bettman said, and we don’t know when there will be a resolution.”

Such a plea deal situation took place with free agent Shane Pinto earlier this season. The NHLPA negotiated Pinto’s penalty with the NHL when he was suspended for 41 games “for activities relating to sports wagering,” according to the NHL’s official statement.

The same thing could be done for the players involved in the scandal, though I personally feel the 2018 sexual assault does not compared with illegal gambling…

When news emerged that a woman had been gang raped by players from the 2018 junior team, some of the roster’s members had made statements that they weren’t involved. Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, who were members of the 2018 world junior team, released separate statements on social media, claiming they had no involvement in the alleged incident. The agency representing Carter Hart, Jake Bean, Kale Clague, Colton Point, and Taylor Raddysh released a statement denying any involvement in the incident on behalf of the players. Four other players from that Canadian championship team — Cale Makar, Victor Mete, Conor Timmins, Sam Steel and Jonah Gadjovich — have also publicly stated they weren’t involved.

The players were not identified in court documents. And with LeBrun’s latest reports, we may not know how they are until there is an agreement between the NHL and its players’ association…

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