Flames’ Dube among NHL players facing sexual assault charge

Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube is among four National Hockey League (NHL) players from the 2018 Team Canada World Junior hockey team directed to surrender to police in London, Ont.

In a statement to TSN Tuesday, Dube’s lawyers, Louis P. Strezos and Kaleigh Davidson, confirmed he was charged with sexual assault.

“The London Police Service have charged Mr. Dube with sexual assault. He will plead not guilty and maintains his innocence,” the statement read.

“He will defend the allegations in court. We ask that you respect the privacy of Mr. Dube and that of his family.”

They said there would be no further comment at this time.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the Flames said they had no knowledge of Dube’s pending charges when his mental health-related leave of absence was granted.

“We have now become aware of the charge of sexual assault that has been laid against Dillon Dube,” the statement read.

“We take this matter very seriously. Because the matter is now pending legal proceedings, we will have no further comment at this time.”

On Jan. 21, the Flames announced that Dube had been granted an indefinite leave of absence from the team while he “attends to his mental health.”

“Dillon is under the care of health professionals, and we request that Dillon’s privacy is respected during this period,” the team said in a statement last week.

pic.twitter.com/Alw1REKhNK

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) January 21, 2024

Flames head coach Ryan Huska was asked about the report on Jan. 24, before the identities of the five players had been revealed publicly.

“I saw the reports this morning just like everybody else, but I don’t have any information on it at all. I’m sorry about that,” he said.

On Jan. 24, The Globe and Mail reported five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team will face sexual assault charges. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Former NHL player Alex Formenton is believed to be the first of the five to surrender. He turned himself in to police on Sunday.

Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils have also each been charged with sexual assault, their respective lawyers confirmed Tuesday.

In 2022, a woman identified as “E.M.” sued Hockey Canada and eight unnamed players from the 2018 world junior team for $3.35 million, alleging she was repeatedly assaulted while intoxicated in a London, Ont. hotel room. The lawsuit was quickly settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.

Dube was the captain of the 2018 Team Canada World Junior hockey team.

Since he was drafted by Calgary in the second round of the 2016 NHL draft, the Golden, B.C.-born forward has registered 57 goals and 70 assists through 325 career games.

The Flames signed Dube to a three-year contract with an AAV of $2.4 million in the summer of 2021.

With files from CTVNews.ca’s Tom Yun and Luca Caruso-Moro