A 24-year-old woman filed a lawsuit in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in April against Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and eight unnamed CHL players, including members of the national junior team. The woman claimed that she was repeatedly sexually assaulted while intoxicated in a hotel room in June 2018. None of the allegations were proven in court, and the woman reportedly dropped the charges after reaching a settlement in May.
"The IIHF was informed by Hockey Canada about this settlement in May 2022 and has launched an inquiry to obtain additional information concerning the cases and Hockey Canada’s actions to address them," the IIHF said in a statement, as quoted by The Athletic sports website on Friday.
In late May, the National Hockey League announced its intention to conduct an internal investigation into the former players of the 2018 Canadian World Junior hockey team. In June, Canadian Sport Minister Pascale St-Onge launched an investigation to establish whether any government tools were used to cover up the story.
In July, Hockey Canada said that the investigation into sexual assault allegations was resumed and apologized for the lack of response to the accusations. The renewed investigation is being conducted by an independent third party and will require the participation of all defendants under this case. Those who refuse to cooperate will be immediately suspended from all tournaments under the Hockey Canada auspices.
Last week, media reported about another group sexual assault involving the Canadian junior team, which allegedly took place at the 2003 IIHF World Junior Championship in Canada’s Sydney and Halifax.