Former Ottawa Senators forward Alex Formenton has been charged in connection to an incident in 2018, his lawyer confirmed to The Athletic on Sunday.
The Globe and Mail first reported that Formenton had turned himself in to the police after being charged with crimes in London, Ont.
“The London Police have charged several players, including Alex Formenton, in connection with an accusation made in 2018. Alex will vigorously defend his innocence and asks that people not rush to judgment without hearing all of the evidence,” Formenton’s lawyer Daniel Brown said in a statement emailed to The Athletic.
Later Sunday, London police said in a release that they will “provide all updates” related to the case at a news conference scheduled for Feb. 5, echoing a statement given earlier in the week.
Last week, the Globe and Mail reported that five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team were told to surrender to police to face sexual assault charges.
The Globe and Mail reported the pending charges are related to an alleged sexual assault of a woman by several players in a London hotel room on June 19, 2018, following a Hockey Canada Foundation event.
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Formenton — whose playing rights in the NHL belong to the Ottawa Senators — is a restricted free agent who hasn’t played in the league since the 2021-22 season. He is currently on a leave of absence from his team in Switzerland, HC Ambri-Piotta, where Formenton has played the past two seasons.
On Thursday, Senators general manager Steve Staios was asked about Formenton’s status.
“I haven’t spoken to the player. And I think all questions in regards to the situation have to go through the National Hockey League,” Staios said.
The NHL declined to comment on the situation.
The allegations were made public in a lawsuit filed by the woman against Hockey Canada in April 2022. In the complaint, filed in Ontario Superior Court, the woman alleged she was assaulted by eight players in a hotel room after the foundation event. Members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team were among those accused of assault in the lawsuit.
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Hockey Canada and the woman settled the lawsuit in May 2022.
After the lawsuit was made public, London police and Hockey Canada reopened their investigations into the incident, and the NHL launched an investigation as well. The initial investigation by London police was closed in February 2019, without charges being filed.
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