Lawyers for players linked to alleged sexual assault to give NHL videos, text messages

TSN Senior Correspondent

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Content Warning: The following article contains references to sexual assault.

As the National Hockey League pursues its investigation into an alleged 2018 sexual assault involving eight former Canadian Hockey League players, lawyers for the players plan to turn over to the league two videos filmed with a cellphone during and after the incident, as well as 35 text messages sent between the alleged victim and one of the players, a source told TSN.

The videos and text messages were provided to London Police Services detectives by lawyers representing seven former CHL players in the days after the alleged June 19, 2018, assault in a London, Ont., hotel following a Hockey Canada event. London police closed its investigation on Feb. 6, 2019, without laying criminal charges. A police spokeswoman declined to say on Monday what role, if any, the videos played in the decision to not charge the players.

Investigators with Henein Hutchison, a Toronto law firm hired by Hockey Canada to scrutinize the allegations, have reviewed the videos and text messages but do not have copies of them, lawyers for the players said.

Hockey Canada has reopened its investigation into the incident and the alleged victim has said through her lawyer she will cooperate with the organization’s investigation. It’s unclear whether Henein Hutchison will continue to play a role in the renewed probe and whether the videos will be provided again to anyone working for Hockey Canada.

While there are eight former CHL players listed as “John Doe” defendants in the case, lawyers who represent seven players say they are unaware of why eight players were named as defendants. Both lawyers for the alleged victim and seven former