Hart, McLeod, Dube, Foote, Formenton charged with sexual assault

[GirlySports]

If Foote is charged...

https://twitter.com/user/status/1531398159963914250

[MegaErtz]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

It could be looking that way. Sure. But waiting until the charges are released to know for sure isn't willful ignorance.

Also it's human nature in the absence of knowing to speculate. Speculation also isn't willful ignorance. imo

The silence from the agents, not including Overhardt/Foote obviously, is deafening.

[blankall]

My guess is that Dube wasn't actually involved but he was one of the players who joked about the incident afterwards. This is total speculation based on the smoke I'm seeing.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

They are not at practice this morning, and their agents are refusing to comment.

OK, that is quite a bit more.

[kipperiggy]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Again I don't see it that way.
Several things can be true at the same time:
- He could be suffering from poor mental health and need help.
- What happened to the victim is horrific and those responsible should be held accountable and face the full consequences
- The offenders should be both punished and given mental support.

When someone has something in their life that is looming, and then it starts to actually become reality, and their world starts to crumble around them, the mental health risks are severe. For instance, gambling addicts will take their own lives, when they can finally no longer hide what's been going on to their spouse/family, etc. For instance, when then realities of their debts come to the fore. They could be living under that mask for years, but when it finally hits, that's when the mental health risk is also the highest. So I can imagine that if the players involved knew this was finally all going to come out, that their mental wellness would potentially reach crisis levels.

To be clear my view is:
- There should be severe consequences for anyone proven to be involved. Including the appropriate legal consequences (e.g. jail time) and being thrown out of the NHL
- But that doesn't mean those people shouldn't be offered mental support and treatment.

This stuff simply isn't as binary as we want it to be.

I mean, we agree. But whether it was Dube or the Flames that framed it as a mental health leave and it's really a mental health and face the consequences of your crappy actions leave, I wish they would have left the mental health part of their statement out. As I said in an earlier post, and I think another poster did as well, it minimizes the struggles that someone like Kylington has been through, in my opinion.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

OK, that is quite a bit more.

Not really.
Considering the situation, keeping any player from that team away from media and commenting this morning makes complete sense.
Even if you weren't part of the assault, the media storm around you would be intense and best to avoid while the justice system does its part.

People need to be patient and the names will come.

[MacDaddy77]

I remember people jumping all over Sam Steel's reputation on this board stating he would be involved. Wait it out until the names are released instead of tearing down the whole team with speculation. it will come out

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by OILFAN #81

Oh boy. Not good at all.

Unless you are the victim

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

https://twitter.com/user/status/1750183698203349378

I guess she didn't suggest Foote is involved, and only said that he wasn't at the event, but I still think it's not the most responsible thing of her to do and throw his name with the others in the list when Foote's agent already confirmed in 2022 that Cal Foote was not involved in any way.

Edit to add the tweet from 2022

https://twitter.com/user/status/1531398159963914250

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by blankall

My guess is that Dube wasn't actually involved but he was one of the players who joked about the incident afterwards. This is total speculation based on the smoke I'm seeing.

I dunno. Joking isn’t a crime, morbid or not. The police wouldn’t ask you to surrender unless it was something serious. The writing seems to be clear it was more than that.

Anyway, regarding the discussion points from Jiri, I agree. I just find it embarrassing that the day or two before a charge may be coming down that someone makes it public they have a mental health challenge. No doubt regardless of what happened or didn’t happen, he’d be under stress, but it’s been ongoing for years. Why two days before does he use this card? I’m a big advocate and no matter what he did or didn’t he deserves help, but man that’s also terrible timing and if I were to speculate, I personally don’t fully buy in, and that some of it was the impending flack he would be facing. I’m skeptical over the timing.

[cam_calderon]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Unless you are the victim

The victim probably considered this ordeal closed after settling with Hockey Canada. I'll admit I'm talking out of my ass, but for whatever closure these arrests may bring, the public nature of it may do more harm than good.

She'll carry that night around with her forever. It's difficult to comprehend living with trauma like that, and I'm not sure more litigation and investigating really helps her.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by MacDaddy77

I remember people jumping all over Sam Steel's reputation on this board stating he would be involved. Wait it out until the names are released instead of tearing down the whole team with speculation. it will come out

It's pretty natural to speculate on who is involved. To be honest, I don't feel sorry for any player who's name gets brought up but didn't actually participate. They all likely knew about the incident, and no one reported it to the police or came forward.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by blankall

It's pretty natural to speculate on who is involved. To be honest, I don't feel sorry for any player who's name gets brought up but didn't actually participate. They all likely knew about the incident, and no one reported it to the police or came forward.

It’s group think, so I understand why they didn’t. Especially in traditional hockey circles. Now once questioned I would be more interested in hearing who lied, or told half truths. That would be more telling of their character.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by cam_calderon

The victim probably considered this ordeal closed after settling with Hockey Canada. I'll admit I'm talking out of my ass, but for whatever closure these arrests may bring, the public nature of it may do more harm than good.

She'll carry that night around with her forever. It's difficult to comprehend living with trauma like that, and I'm not sure more litigation and investigating really helps her.

I don't think that is for us to decide.

It is for her to decide.

I don't know if The Crown can move forward with charges without the support/willing involvement of the victim.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Lots of speculation that Formenton was the ring leader in this incident.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1750182942444233009

If I were him and were involved? I'd have stayed in Switzerland.

"Come get me!"

[cam_calderon]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I don't think that is for us to decide.

It is for her to decide.

I don't know if The Crown can move forward with charges without the support/willing involvement of the victim.

Agreed. I've got no idea if the victim would've been involved in the latest police investigation - maybe she was quite active, maybe not.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by bluejays

It’s group think, so I understand why they didn’t. Especially in traditional hockey circles. Now once questioned I would be more interested in hearing who lied, or told half truths. That would be more telling of their character.

I get it. But if you are an innocent party who's name is getting associated with this now, it's directly because no one came out when the incident happened. Making a statement back then would have been a great way to distance yourself from this (and help the actual victim here).

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Locke

If I were him and were involved? I'd have stayed in Switzerland.

"Come get me!"

Then become an international fugitive?

[ResAlien]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Then become an international fugitive?

Eh if your choice is international fugitive or domestic inmate…

[cam_calderon]

It may seem binary from where we are sitting, but these guys were obviously close. I honestly can see why 18 or 19-year-olds would not 'rat', for lack of a better word, under these circumstances. Not justifying it but it's more complicated than it may seem.