Pat Hickey: Expect Hockey Canada sexual assault cases to drag on

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Don’t expect a quick resolution to the sexual assault case against five members of the 2018 gold-medal winning Canadian world junior hockey team.

If this were an episode of Law and Order, this case would have gone from offence to arrest to trial in less than an hour. In the real world, it has taken more than five years for the London police to lay charges.

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And, as third-century Greek philosopher Sextus Empiricus reminded us, the mills of the gods grind slowly. That’s one way of saying the players won’t get their day in court until next year or maybe the year after.

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The four NHL players — Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote — and Alex Formenton, who plays in Switzerland, have all taken leaves of absence. Their salaries are being paid and count against the salary cap, but their future is uncertain after July 1. The four NHL players are all restricted free agents and it’s unlikely they will receive qualifying offers.

As for their futures in hockey, that will depend on the outcome of their court cases. If they are found guilty, they will probably never play another NHL game.

Even if they are spared prison time and a lengthy suspension from the league, they could possibly be restricted from entering the United States.

If they are acquitted, they still face an uncertain future. With the exception of Hart, these are marginal players and they won’t get any better sitting out for a year or two. Teams will be reluctant to take a chance on a player whose character is in question.

The arrests carry some repercussions for Hockey Canada. The organization reached a financial settlement with the alleged victim and tried to keep the incident out of the public eye. If the players are found guilty, Hockey Canada should take legal action to recover the money used for the settlement and legal costs.

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And now that police have identified suspects, it’s time for Hockey Canada to rescind its ban on all members of the 2018 team from participating in international competition. The team is a largely undistinguished group but one member, Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar, would look good on the Canadian blue line if NHL players are represented at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

What is Monahan worth? There has been much speculation about what the Canadiens could expect in return if they decide to trade pending unrestricted free agent Sean Monahan.

When Monahan signed a one-year deal for a shade less than $2 million last summer, there was reportedly an understanding the Canadiens would try to trade him to a contender at the deadline.

But I’ve always believed that general manager Kent Hughes would be ahead of the curve if he could convince Monahan to stay because a proven commodity like Monahan is more valuable than a gamble on a first-round draft choice that would probably come late in the round.

But, as the NHL paused for the all-star break, the Vancouver Canucks showed what a contender might be willing to pay for veteran help up the middle.

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The Canucks, who reached the break in first place overall, acquired Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames Wednesday. In return, they gave up forward Andrei Kuzmenko, a first-round draft choice, a conditional fourth-round pick and two defence prospects.

Monahan and Lindholm are basically the same guy. They are both 29, have good size and win faceoffs at a 55 per cent clip. Monahan has 13 goals and 35 points in 49 games this season and Lindholm has nine goals and 32 points. Over their careers, Monahan has scored 19 more goals despite playing 62 fewer games.

If Monahan does rate a first-round draft choice, it will be the second time the Canadiens have cashed in on him. When Calgary sent him to Montreal less than two years ago, the Flames were so anxious to dump Monahan’s $6.375-million cap hit that they threw in a conditional first-round draft pick.

Fowler puts B.C. on top: Canadiens goaltending prospect Jacob Fowler stopped 58 of 62 shots — that’s a .935 save percentage — as Boston College swept a weekend series against Boston University 4-1 and 4-3.

The wins moved Boston College into first place in the latest NCAA Division 1 rankings, while Boston University dropped two spots to No. 3. Boston University, which is led by Canadiens defence prospect Lane Hutson and Macklin Celebrini, the top-rated prospect in the 2024 NHL draft, will get a chance to avenge the losses Monday when they meet Boston College in the first round of the Beanpot tournament. That game is available on TSN+ at 8 p.m.

phickey0412@gmail.com

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