The trial for the former Flyers goaltender Carter Hart and four other players on the 2018 Canadian World Junior Team will begin on April 22, 2025, in London, Ontario, according to a report from The Athletic.

Hart is one of five players on that Canadian team accused of sexual assault in connection with an alleged incident in June 2018. Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote and Michael McLeod are the others. The new jury trial date will add five months to the proceedings. The trial was originally scheduled to begin in September 2025. The Ministry of the Attorney General agreed to advance the date because pre-trial motions will be completed by the end of 2024. TSN reported that the trial is expected to last eight weeks.

The sexual assault allegations stem from an alleged incident following a Hockey Canada banquet in London. A woman claimed she was assaulted by a group of hockey players in a hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018, after meeting them at a local bar. Both the London Police and Hockey Canada (through a third-party firm) opened investigations into the alleged sexual assault in June 2018. The London Police closed their criminal investigation in 2019, and Hockey Canada closed its investigation in 2020.

” READ MORE: What we know about Hockey Canada’s sexual assault investigation

In April 2022, the woman filed a lawsuit against Hockey Canada, the organization that oversees Canadian junior hockey, and eight unnamed players from the 2018 Canadian junior team, seeking $3.55 million in damages. In May of that year, TSN reported that Hockey Canada had settled the woman’s lawsuit out of court. Amid public outrage and the revelation of other sexual assault allegations involving members of Hockey Canada, the London police investigation was reopened in July 2022.

The NHL later opened its own investigation into the events of that night, as many of the members of that Canada World Junior team were playing in the league.

In January 2024, Hart, Dubé, Foote and McLeod took leaves of absence from their respective NHL teams citing personal reasons. (Formenton, who was not signed to an NHL team at the time, also left his professional team in Switzerland.) On February 5, four of the players were formally charged with one count of sexual assault, while McLeod he was charged with two counts. of sexual assault, the additional charge of aiding another in the commission of the crime.

On Jan. 30, Hart’s lawyers, Megan Savard and Riaz Sayani of Toronto law firm Savard Foy, issued a statement on behalf of the goalkeeper.

“He is innocent and will give a full answer to this false accusation in the proper forum, a court of law.” statement of Savard Foy LLP read on X. “Until then, we will have no comment.”

Hart had previously been asked about the case by local media, including The Inquirer, saying in 2022: “I can’t really talk about it right now. I wish I could. I respect the process with the NHL and am fully cooperating with their investigation. But that’s all I can really say.” In September 2023, he made a similar statement about the ongoing investigation.

Commissar Gary Bettman announced on February 2nd over All-Star weekend, the league completed its investigation and was prepared to share the results with the NHL Players Association. Those findings were not shared with the public to avoid obstructing the ongoing legal case, according to Bettman. He also said the players will not be suspended or placed on a commissioner’s exemption list and will remain on paid leave until the end of the season.

” READ MORE: Police chief apologizes for lengthy investigation into Carter Hart sexual assault case

All five players were scheduled to hit free agency last summer and none of them received an NHL contract, including Hart by the Flyers. Hart, who was drafted in 2016 by the Flyers, played six seasons with the organization. He is currently a free agent. Dubé (Belarus) and Foote (Slovakia) are playing abroad pending trial.

On February 28, it was revealed that the five players had opted for a jury trial and be tried together.