Five members from Canada’s 2018 world junior team (Hart, McLeod, Dube, Foote and Formenton) told to surrender to police, facing sexual assault charges

[AnInjuredJasonZucker]

I agree with you that it wasn't consent, but let's not act like the players were about to kill her, jesus christ.

Now consider it from the perspective of a rape victim. That's the point.

 

[MXD]

Can teams just terminate contracts for players being charged with a crime? Seems like they would have to be found guilty first.

I think it's all a moot point anyway - as long as the accused players are staying away from the teams and not signed beyond this season, I think teams just let the rest of their contracts play out.

I mean, Corey Perry has just been terminated something that was, according to the very man who bought him out, not criminal in nature.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Can teams just terminate contracts for players being charged with a crime? Seems like they would have to be found guilty first.

I think it's all a moot point anyway - as long as the accused players are staying away from the teams and not signed beyond this season, I think teams just let the rest of their contracts play out.

I mean, Corey Perry has just been terminated something that was, according to the very man who bought him out, not criminal in nature.

I assume NHL contracts have a morality clause, no?

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

There was the report from Kypreos that the Melnyk sisters did not want him back on the Sens regardless of the outcome of all of this.

Sure, my point was that he was absolutely good enough to be in the NHL.

 

[Chainshot]

Sure, my point was that he was absolutely good enough to be in the NHL.

Yes, just expanding on why he was in Europe - the team who holds his rights were willing to draw a line in the sand regarding his continued employment on their team.

 

[Scrantonicity 2]

His name's been made public.

Was he just a stranger? A connection to the team somehow?

 

[JKG33]

It’s actually wild how common gang bangs are in the junior ranks. It wouldn’t be shocking if 90% of nhl players have been part of one

Your guess probably ain't far off. Helluva f***ed up team building activity

 

[jonlin]

I`m pretty sure some other players turn themselves in soon. Dont know how the justice-system works in Canada, but if I was one of the players, I surely wouldnt want to be the last guy to turn myself in. I bet the first ones will accuse the later coming...

 

[brentashton]

I`m pretty sure some other players turn themselves in soon. Dont know how the justice-system works in Canada, but if I was one of the players, I surely wouldnt want to be the last guy to turn myself in. I bet the first ones will accuse the later coming...

???
It’s not a foot race.

 

[jonlin]

???
It’s not a foot race.

You dont think the kids will try to accuse others to look better? It`s not quite uncommon actually...

 

[Rich Nixon]

You dont think the kids will try to accuse others to look better? It`s not quite uncommon actually...

They aren't being brought in for questioning. They're being brought in to be charged.

 

[brentashton]

You dont think the kids will try to accuse others to look better? It`s not quite uncommon actually...

They are all going to do whatever they can within the legal system structure to avoid being found guilty. It might very well be attempts to assign culpability to others in a trial.

The point is, that your comment that by coming in “first” to be charged gets you some type of special place in the pecking order of defense strategy is misguided, wrong and frankly, silly.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

I’d assume the players will be out on bail or will they be deemed flight risks?

 

[LemonSauceD]

It’s actually wild how common gang bangs are in the junior ranks. It wouldn’t be shocking if 90% of nhl players have been part of one

8 person gang bangs or not. As long as there’s consent, it’s not really anyone’s business.

 

[Three On Zero]

I`m pretty sure some other players turn themselves in soon. Dont know how the justice-system works in Canada, but if I was one of the players, I surely wouldnt want to be the last guy to turn myself in. I bet the first ones will accuse the later coming...

All are likely represented by different legal counsels and will do what their legal counsel suggests. All 5 are likely at different stages and different levels of implication. Formenton may be the primary person of interest for all we know

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

There are probably a lot of HHOF who are breathing a sigh of relief there were no smartphones/social media in the 80s and 90s.

Phil Esposito's book was really candid about this stuff if anyone's curious.

 

[HBK27]

Corey Perry says it can happen for even less than being charged in a criminal matter.

Whatever Perry did was presumably not in dispute though - as it seems to have happened in front of team employees. He also still has time to file a complaint (and is expected to do so), so he still may collect on that contract.

With Galchenyuk - what he did was on video, so zero dispute there...whereas these are still allegations at this time.

Any NHL team would only be getting out of a contract roughly 2 months early at this point, so I really don't see it happening. Also not a great look if their player is eventually found not guilty. Where it may get interesting in the off-season is if any players are qualified in order to retain their rights or teams just let RFA contracts expire.

 

[wintersej]

Respect and agree with your stance on victim’s rights. But not sure I can sign on to the first statement. In the US at least, we have 1000s of innocent people in prison. Prosecutors have been known to prosecute people they know to be innocent by withholding exculpatory evidence among other misdeeds. In federal cases, the prosecution knowingly fatigues defendants financially into plea deals. So this idea that charges are only brought on guilty people seems factually incorrect to me.

I think both statements can be true. There is obviously corruption in the police/DA offices all over the world. And there are also cases where the police/DA office really think a person is guilty and try to hide stuff that suggests otherwise to defense lawyers so the defendant doesn't get away with it. And sometimes they might be right. And sometimes they might be wrong. As a society, we have decided that punishing the innocent is worse than letting guilty go free (and I buy in on that!), but you can imagine how frustrating that can be for the prosecution side to see people walk they think did it but they can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt. And you can see how it can lead to them doing things the wrong way. Not making excuses, but you can understand that a prosecutor doing that kind of thing can convince themselves they are doing the right thing.

But, sexual assault cases are so so so hard to prove they are often the kind of cases that the DA office won't spend their limited resources on unless they really think they can make a case. I mean even if they have a rape kit you get into he said/she said and so much happens behinds closed doors... and that's before alcohol gets involved.

Obviously, there are going to be exceptions to a blanket statement, though.

However, the bigger problem with sexual assault stuff is how often no one even goes to the police because they don't want to live through it again and again and again for years, be told their life's greatest trauma is a lie, and drag their family through it.

Its a hard issue with no good answers.

 

[GeoRox89]

There was the report from Kypreos that the Melnyk sisters did not want him back on the Sens regardless of the outcome of all of this.

Not surprising. Man U (although it didn’t seem like that was always going to be the result) never brought Greenwood back.

Of course (regardless of the charges being dropped since they got back together and subsequently engaged) the audio of the incident was leaked in that instance and well you can see why people hearing it would not care about the legal outcome

 

[Wallet Inspector]

It's weird how Formenton didn't accept his qualifying offer if he knew that there was gonna be a deep investigation into this.

 

[brentashton]

Whatever Perry did was presumably not in dispute though - as it seems to have happened in front of team employees. He also still has time to file a complaint (and is expected to do so), so he still may collect on that contract.

With Galchenyuk - what he did was on video, so zero dispute there...whereas these are still allegations at this time.

Any NHL team would only be getting out of a contract roughly 2 months early at this point, so I really don't see it happening. Also not a great look if their player is eventually found not guilty. Where it may get interesting in the off-season is if any players are qualified in order to retain their rights or teams just let RFA contracts expire.

I responded factually to the question you posed.

Contracts can be terminated if one party believes the other party has acted in a manner that is materially contra to the clauses of the contract. If the other party disagrees or believes the act or omission can’t be proven, then they can file a claim for wrongful termination of the contract.

 

[Primary Assist]

The players probably won’t want to play right now either. Good chance they’d be booed unmercifully, possibly by home crowds as well. Rape is one of the big 2 (or 3, depending) crimes that has a huge stigma attached to it for good reason. I doubt these players want to be pariahs right now

Are the other two murder and... Downloading a car?

 

[GeoRox89]

Are the other two murder and... Downloading a car?

Child molestation probably. They get a tougher ride in prison than murderers do

 

[FDBluth]

I gotta say, I'm not surprised that it's Formenton whose name first comes up.

After the initial story break, his camp was the lone camp that made no statement whatsoever.

Very good sophomore NHL season and suddenly disappears to Europe.

I don't know anything about how legal proceedings are run but to me it seems to be a pretty bold swing to come right out at the start and make a public statement that he will vigorously defend his innocence (as opposed to no comment, etc). Guess he wants to get on the PR battle right away.

 

[AnInjuredJasonZucker]

However, the bigger problem with sexual assault stuff is how often no one even goes to the police because they don't want to live through it again and again and again for years, be told their life's greatest trauma is a lie, and drag their family through it.

Its a hard issue with no good answers.

This - plus the aggressive victim blaming that is usually the lynchpin of any defense.