Cale Makar targets former 2018 World Junior teammates with comments on filed charges

As you know from recent reports, the sexual assault case of five players from Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team is set to be before a London, Ont., court on Monday. Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Michael McLeod are each charged with one count of sexual assault. The latter, a forward for the New Jersey Devils, is also facing an additional charge of sexual assault for “being a party to the offence.” The accused players have all been allowed to go on indefinite leave from their respective clubs. This is in relation to a woman, identified only as E.M., who sued Hockey Canada in 2022, alleging she was sexually assaulted by eight members of Canada’s world junior team after a fundraising gala in London in 2018.

Colorado Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar had been instructed not to comment on the charges facing five of his teammates on Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team. However, he still couldn’t hold back some of his feelings towards the disturbing incident.

“I’ve been kind of straightforward from the start that I wasn’t there. But again, I’m just gonna leave it back to the people who are handling obviously the work right now,” Makar said Thursday in Toronto where he is for the All-Star weekend.

“Again, I can’t stress enough that I wasn’t a part of that.”

The Avs blue liner also admitted how he’s been affected by the ongoing investigation and how many more changes must come to the hockey culture in order to make it safer and more inclusive to everyone.

“I think we’re at a point now where it’s very inclusive for everybody, and it should feel that way. And if it doesn’t, then we as a league and us as a game aren’t doing the correct things to make it feel that way. So, for us, in my mind, I feel like everybody should be accepted, regardless of who you are. And I think that the game has just continued to grow and in that respect, I’m proud of where it’s at right now.

“But we definitely still obviously have a long way to go.”

Makar couldn’t help but direct some of his comments to his former Team Canada teammates, saying:

“At the end of the day, actions have consequences, and that’s what I was taught growing up, regardless of the situation that’s going on right now. Yeah, again, I’m just gonna kind of divert back to what’s been said, and I don’t know too much of any of the details.”

When it comes to the ongoing investigations and charges filed, more will be revealed during Monday’s press conference by the London police and what is expected to come next.

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