NHL player Alex Formenton moved on from hockey career amid Hockey Canada sexual assault case
A former NHL draft pick has seemingly walked away from hockey and is pursuing a career in construction as he and four of his Canadian World Juniors teammates face charges of sexual assault, according to reports.Alex Formenton, 24, “moved on from a hockey career” and lives in Barrie, Ontario, where he is training in heavy equipment operation and administration, after spending the last two years playing professional hockey in Switzerland, the CBC reported citing court records.In February, Formenton — a second-round pick by the Ottawa Senators in 2017 — was one of five Canadian junior players charged with sexual assault.The Ontario Police also charged Devils’ Michael McLeod and Cal Foote, Flyers’ Carter Hart and Flames’ Dillon Dube.The five players are accused of sexually assaulting a woman inside a hotel room at a fundraising gala in London in June 2018.The woman alleged she was assaulted by eight members of the team when she sued Hockey Canada in 2022.Hockey Canada settled the lawsuit, and then an investigation revealed the organization had two secret slush funds to pay out settlements on claims of sexual assault and abuse.Police dropped the case in 2019 but reopened the investigation in 2022, revealing it found reasonable and probable grounds to bring the charges, which could bring jail time if there are convictions.Formenton’s new employment was listed in court records made public on Thursday from an August trial, when Acting Regional Senior Justice Bruce Thomas ruled to excuse the five players from having to attend pre-trial motions in the Superior Court of Justice case.
During the 29 scheduled court dates the players were allowed to miss, lawyers will discuss the evidence that would and wouldn’t be presented during the trial, according to CBC.“The applicants have each provided an affidavit wherein they acknowledge the importance of the proceedings and waive the necessity of attending the hearings,” Thomas wrote.“It is clear each of the ...