A puck stands on the ice before a faceoff as the Czech Republic and Switzerland play a World Junior Hockey Championship game in Vancouver on December 26, 2018. DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Three retired NHL players who were part of Canada’s 2003 junior hockey team say they were unaware of an alleged gang sexual assault involving members of that year’s team.
Jordyn Tutu, Carlo Colaiakovo, and PA Parenteau said in Twitter posts Friday and Saturday that they had not heard of the incident before the allegation surfaced in a TSN report on Friday. The attack is said to have taken place in Halifax, which was hosting the world junior hockey championship that year. The city police have launched an investigation.
This is the latest in a series of revelations about the culture of hockey and its national governing body, Hockey Canada. Police in London, Ontario, recently reopened an investigation into a separate sexual assault allegedly committed in 2018 by Canadian Hockey League players, including members of that year’s world junior team.
Hockey Canada said Friday it had contacted Halifax Regional Police after recently learning of the 2003 allegations, and added it would cooperate with authorities as they investigate.
TSN reported Friday that its sources said video footage from 2003 showed about six players taking turns having sex with an unresponsive woman lying face up on a pool table. TSN has not seen the footage, but cited three sources who described it. The Globe and Mail has not independently verified the existence of the footage or any details related to it.
Jordyn Tutu of the Brandon Wheat Kings poses for a photo after afternoon practice at the Keystone Center on December 9, 2002. Bruce Bumstead
Mr. Tutu, a former Chicago Blackhawks player, wrote a memoir called All the Way: My Life on Ice. It mentions the team’s sexual behavior since 2003 at one point.
“We were excited young men. We were in Halifax and all the… girls were picking on us. What are you going to do? Let’s start killing these men. And it wasn’t just one-on-one action. A few of the guys would pick up a few girls after practice and go to one of the rooms. Enough said.”
In his Twitter post on Saturday, Mr Tutu said his book dealt with topics such as his “journey with alcohol addiction”.
“To be completely honest with you, I do not recall knowing or hearing about the incident in question during or after the tournament,” Mr Tutu said in the post.
“I was shocked to hear about this in the media and will fully cooperate with any investigation.”
Mr. Colaiacovo, who now hosts a TSN hockey radio show, said in a statement on Twitter that he was saddened to hear the allegations against his team.
“As a member of this team, it is important that everyone is aware that I was not involved in or aware of any incidents. I will fully cooperate with any investigation,” he said.
Mr. Parenteau shared Mr. Colaiacovo’s post and echoed the sentiment.
“I will cooperate and I have not been involved in this [incident],” he said.
Hockey’s world governing body, the Switzerland-based International Ice Hockey Foundation, has asked Hockey Canada to hand over additional information about the 2018 sexual abuse complaint. The IIHF has also asked for details on how the organization handled the complaint.
In May, Hockey Canada quietly settled a lawsuit related to the 2018 allegation. The plaintiff is a woman who claims she was assaulted in a hotel room in London, Ontario. of eight Canadian Hockey League players.
IIHF communications manager Adam Stice told The Globe that the governing body learned of the agreement in May.
“At this time, the IIHF has not opened an investigation into Hockey Canada’s actions,” Mr. Steiss said in a statement. “However, this is a deeply concerning incident that the IIHF takes extremely seriously.”
The World Junior Championship is held annually. It usually starts on Boxing Day and runs until the first week of January. The 2021-2022 event was postponed when players from several teams tested positive for COVID-19. It is scheduled to be held in Edmonton next month. The 2022-23 event will start on Boxing Day and will be held in Halifax.
Hockey Canada is slated to host both events. The IIHF did not respond to a question on Saturday about whether it would consider remove the organization from this role.
The IIHF has been running integrity workshops at the 2018 World Junior Championships. Mr Steiss said this would continue. He has his own abuse and harassment code and wants assurances that Hockey Canada is following it.
“The IIHF continues to monitor Hockey Canada’s actions to ensure it is acting in accordance with the abuse and harassment code and will take all appropriate steps when and if necessary,” said Mr. Steiss.
In her lawsuit, the plaintiff in the 2018 case sought $3.55 million in damages. It is not known how much she received, as she signed a non-disclosure agreement as part of the settlement. Her claims have not been tested in court.
A number of players on the 2018 world junior team have denied or said they were not part of any wrongdoing. In court documents, the woman said she was intoxicated at the time of the incident and that she was forced and held against her will.
According to a claim filed in Ontario Superior Court, she had sex with one player and then others entered the room and joined in. Some players have brought golf clubs into the room and it has scared her, she said. At one point, according to the claim, the players recorded a video in which she was directed to say that she was sober and that the actions were consensual. Then, she said, she was told to take a shower.
Public outrage has surrounded the case since the case was settled in May. Hockey Canada officials were subpoenaed to testify before Parliament, and major sponsors temporarily withdrew their support for the organization. Swiss Chalet and The Keg are the latest in a long list that also includes Canadian Tire, Scotiabank, Telus and Tim Hortons.
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