Breaking News: Calgary Flames Catch Heat For Citing Key Star’s Mental Health To Explain Absence Linked To Bombshell Scandal
On Tuesday, it was revealed that Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dubé is among the players charged in a long-standing sexual assault scandal. The team is facing criticism for the way it explained Dubé’s pre-scandal leave of absence.
In recent years, the hockey community had anticipated learning the identities of former members of Canada’s World Junior team linked to a sexual assault allegedly occurring in a London, Ontario hotel room in 2018. The incident gained attention when the victim filed a lawsuit against Hockey Canada and the CHL in 2020. Though the police had initially closed the investigation in the prior year, it was reopened after media coverage.
There had been widespread speculation that some of the alleged perpetrators had entered the NHL. This week, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote, and Dillon Dubé, along with former Senators forward Alex Formenton, were directed to surrender to the police.
Flames statement on Dillon Dube.
📄: https://t.co/RDWXhitSZP pic.twitter.com/OUvGv6WmT1
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) January 31, 2024
Last week, all four players took leave from their respective teams. The Flyers cited “personal reasons” for Hart’s absence, while the Devils offered no explanation for McLeod and Foote. The Flames, however, took a different approach, informing fans that Dubé was taking time off to “attend to his mental health.” While the NHL’s efforts to destigmatize mental health breaks are appreciated, many were understandably displeased that this reason was given for a player charged with sexual assault a week later.
The Flames later released a statement asserting they were unaware of pending charges when granting Dubé’s leave of absence. ESPN hockey reporter Emily Kaplan mentioned that the implicated players were allegedly instructed not to disclose details to their teams before requesting time off.
Ultimately, it’s plausible that the Flames were uninformed, and even if they were aware, the primary focus should be on the serious allegations that initiated the controversy.