Hockey Canada released a statement on Friday saying it has been made aware of an «alleged group sexual assault» involving members of its 2002-03 National Junior Team during the 2003 IIHF World Junior Championship in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
TSN/CTV reporter Rick Westhead notified Hockey Canada of the alleged incident in an email on Thursday night. «Mr. Westhead informed Hockey Canada he has spoken to multiple witnesses who provided him with explicit descriptions of an assault,» Hockey Canada wrote in the statement, «following an interview with Conservative MP John Nater who is in possession of the same or similar information.
The details in Mr. Westhead's email were deeply disturbing and Hockey Canada immediately contacted Halifax Regional Police, as Halifax was the co-host city [along with Sydney, Nova Scotia] of the 2003 IIHF World Junior Championship, and also notified Sport Canada of the information shared with us.» Hockey Canada said it has «urged» Westhead to speak with police and for his sources to do the same.
The governing body also requested Nater contact authorities with any information his office has received about the alleged assault.