Alex Formenton, flanked by his lawyer Dan Brown, arrives for jury selection this morning in London, Ont.
About 40 people packed into the 14th-floor courtroom after proceedings began at 10 a.m. The five defendants are all wearing dark suits and several are accompanied by family members.
After a few minutes spent discussing proposed questions that prospective jurors will be asked about potential biases and conflicts, lawyers compiled a list of prospective witnesses in the case, including friends of E.M., the complainant in the case; all other members of the 2018 Canadian World Juniors team; and lawyers from Henein Hutchison Robitaille, the Toronto law firm hired by Hockey Canada to investigate the alleged sexual assault.
Justice Maria Carroccia wants to ensure jurors don't have any connections with any witnesses. Justice Maria Carroccia used Zoom to address a separate courtroom packed with potential jurors.
Carroccia said she will call 14 jurors - 12 of whom will deliberate and decide the fate of the five co-defendants - and two alternate jurors.
Carroccia said jurors in the case will be paid $150/day for the duration of the trial and said being a juror is one of the most important services Canadian citizens can be called on to perform.
Carroccia: "You're being asked to drop what you are doing in your everyday lives and serve as a juror… it almost always involves some personal hardship and inconvenience… at the same time those 14 people will hav a challenging and rewarding experience, one you will never forget."
The five players, Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Cal Foote, then formally stood, heard the charges against them, and pleaded not guilty.

Canada Soccer general secretary Earl Cochrane is expected to testify today (remotely) before the Heritage Committee about budget cuts to the national team programs and pay equity issues raised by women's national team players. MPs begin today's Heritage Committee meeting passing a motion to issue summonses to Canada Soccer's former president Nick Bontis, current chief financial officer Sean Heffernan and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani to appear at a hearing to be held before the end of March.

Police investigators in London say in a court filing they have reasonable grounds to believe that 5 members of Canada's 2018 World Junior team sexually assaulted a woman.
Via @robyndoolittle.
theglobeandmail.com/canada/article… In an Oct. 17 court filing, Sergeant David Younan wrote that the alleged victim "subjectively believed that she had no alternative but to engage in the [specific sex act(s)]."
Younan wrote in the 94-page filing that the players knew or ought to have known she had not consented.

Bob Nicholson, Hockey Canada's president and CEO from 1988-2014, is scheduled to testify today before the Heritage Committee.
HC SVP/Strategy Pat McLaughlin, who was involved in hiring crisis management firm Navigator, is also expected to testify.
Approx 11 am start time. Both Bob Nicholson and Pat McLaughlin will testify virtually today.

The NHL says in a new court filing that it spent nearly $100M defending a concussion lawsuit filed by 318 former players that was settled in 2018.
As of Feb 2022, the NHL says its insurers have collectively have reimbursed the insurers just $20M. The NHL says insurers have withheld over 5,000 documents, including those that establish when the insurers first became aware of the alleged risks concerning neurological injuries suffered as a result of sports-related brain injuries.

I'll be live tweeting the Heritage Committee's Hockey Canada hearing today.
Most MPs have arrived and Conservative MP John Nater is expected to kick off the two-hour meeting with the first question in a few minutes. Former Hockey Canada chair Michael Brind'Amour in an opening statement says that the organization agreed to settle a lawsuit related to an alleged 2018 sexual assault because it "felt inappropriate to victimize the young woman in court."

The CHL in January made public a survey about the prevalence of harassment, bullying & discrimination.
Newly-filed evidence details how an independent panel which included Sheldon Kennedy was overruled by the CHL in its effort use that survey to dig into junior hockey's past.

https://twitter.com/TSNHockey/status/1577034573510328321

The newly public records also detail specifics of abuse complaints filed by multiple major-junior players and include testimony from former CHL President David Branch. Branch: “When does initiation go over to hazing? I almost see that as being systemic..."

Hockey Canada established a second fund to help provincial branches settle sexual assault claims, The Globe and Mail reports.
Similar to HC's "National Equity Fund," player registration funds were also used to build up the "Participants Legacy Trust Fund."
theglobeandmail.com/canada/article… Several MPs question why Hockey Canada did not divulge the trust during parliamentary committee hearings in June and July.
The revelation of a second fund comes a day before HC interim board chair Andrea Skinner and former board chair Michael Brind'Amour are to testify in Ottawa.

The third day of Hockey Canada hearings begins in Ottawa with a request from Conservative MP John Nater that witnesses be sworn in before providing their testimony. For those interested, link to a live stream of today's hearings:
cpac.ca/episode?id=8f1…

MPs who are members of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage have arrived over the past 30 minutes and have started an in camera session to discuss Hockey Canada's response to sexual abuse allegations.
The committee is scheduled to begin hearing testimony in public at 11. Hearing starting and Danielle Robitaille of Toronto law firm Henein Hutchison LLP, hired by Hockey Canada to investigate a 2018 alleged sexual assault, will be the first witness to testify.

Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage meeting is starting.
Hockey Canada President Scott Smith, CEO Tom Renney and Hockey Canada Foundation chair Dave Andrews being sworn in.
Hockey Canada lawyer Andrew Winton also in attendance to provide legal advice to the witnesses. Hockey Canada chief executive Tom Renney said the organization learned of the alleged sexual assault a day after it occurred.
Renney says HC "felt a moral obligation" to settle the lawsuit filed in April by the woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by 8 CHL players.

New: The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage agreed during an in camera meeting today to ask Hockey Canada officials to testify in Ottawa on June 20 about the settlement of a lawsuit filed by a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by 8 CHL players in June 2018. Hockey Canada officials who will be asked to testify include CEO Scott Smith, former CEO Tom Renney, former Sr VP of insurance and risk management Glen McCurdie, and Hockey Canada Foundation chair David Andrews, MP Peter Julian tells me.

Kyle Beach: NHLPA Dr. Brian Shaw “told me he would handle it and make sure that Team USA was aware that Brad Aldrich is a sexual predator. After that one conversation, the NHLPA cut me loose. I never heard from them again.”

https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1454158482618425347

During the 2011 Women’s U18 championships in Stockholm, Kyle Beacn's agent says he phoned NHLPA ED Don Fehr with the warning that Kyle had allegedly been sexually abused by Brad Aldrich, who was working with Team USA at the tournament.

The HDA has also made several other requests of the NHL, among them that team owners offer NHL rinks to be used as polling stations for the upcoming US election.

https://twitter.com/evanderkane_9/status/1299030938953883651

The HDA on July 14 provided the NHL with a proposed pledge. It wants the NHL to commit to diversifying NHL & team staff and suppliers.
“Black suppliers” should deliver at least 10% of NHL procurement expenditure by 2020-21 season, the HDA says.

Spoke to Toronto infectious diseases physician Dr. Isaac Bogoch about coronavirus. He tells me as situation evolves, NHL, NBA and other leagues need to consider canceling or postponing games or playing without spectators.
More tonight on @SportsCentre In a memo to teams sent Friday, the NHL advised frequent hand washing for players/team staff, more teleconference meetings, and monitoring of alerts from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gary Bettman begins testimony explaining moves NHL has taken to make game safer.
He says NHL was first league in 1997 to introduce mandatory neurological baseline testing for players.
Also says NHL was first pro league to adopt league-wide electronic medical records system. Bettman says the NHL’s concussion spotter system includes one spotter watching players for visible signs of concussion from NHL office while a second spotter watches from the arena stands.

(NHL does not identify spotters and the NHLPA refuses to b/c they are league employees.)