By Joseph Quigley [1]
BELLEVILLE – Ontario Provincial Police are investigating an incident at a house party near Bewdley in Hamilton Township [2]. Due to the young age of some of the people involved and the sensitive nature of the allegations, further information will only be released after a thorough investigation, OPP said in a news release.
Numerous media reports have alleged some players with the Cobourg Cougars Junior A hockey team were at the house, but police have not confirmed anything.
The Cobourg Cougars released a statement regarding the allegations.
In the statement, the organization said it is taking the allegations “very seriously,” but nothing has been verified.
“In this case, none of the allegations made have been proven, nor has the hockey club been contacted with regards to any investigation. In the event that this changes, we will participate fully and are committed to doing so,” the release said.
The release also stated it will talk their players about personal conduct.
“We have used this as an opportunity to remind our players about respect and appropriate behaviours,” the release said.
The Ontario Junior Hockey League, which is the body governing the team, released a statement Wednesday afternoon, saying it will also co-operate with police.
Northumberland OPP media relations officer Stephen Bates said that Detective Inspector James Smyth, of the OPP Criminal Investigations Branch, is being called to lead the investigation.
Smyth previously worked on the famed Russell Williams case, the convicted sex killer who was a former colonel in the Canadian Forces.
This is not the only recent incident of allegations being made against minor hockey players, who are aged 16 to 20-years old. The QMJHL released a statement [3] saying they would fully co-operate with a police investigation following a complaint being filed against players of the Gatineau Olympiques.
According to acting OPP sergeant Kelly Daniels, it could be a matter of weeks or even months before the investigation reaches a conclusion.