Flames claim they were unaware of Dillon Dube’s sex assault case when he took ‘mental health’ leave

Dillon Dube, who has now been charged with sexual assault from an alleged 2018 incident, previously took a leave of absence from the Flames on Jan. 21, which the team said was for mental health reasons.

Now, after reports emerged Tuesday that Dube is among four NHLers facing charges for the alleged Ontario, Canada assault, Calgary said it was not aware the forward was involved in the case.

“We have now become aware of the charge of sexual assault that has been laid against Dillon Dube,” the team said in a statement Tuesday. “We take this matter very seriously. Because the matter is now pending legal proceedings, we will have no further comment at this time.

“We had no knowledge of pending charges at the time Dillon’s request for a leave of absence was granted.

Dube, along with Devils forwards Michael McLeod and Cal Foote and Flyers goalie Carter Hart, were all charged with sexual assault on Tuesday from the 2018 incident at a Hockey Canada Foundation event, according to The Athletic.

Former NHLer Alex Formenton was also charged in the case.

Through his lawyers, Dube denied his involvement in the alleged incident and that he would be pleading not guilty in the case.

“The London Police Service have charged Mr. Dube with sexual assault. He will plead not guilty and maintains his innocence,” attorneys Louis Strezos and Kaleigh Davidson said in a statement Tuesday. “He will defend the allegations in court. We ask that you respect the privacy of Mr. Dube and that of his family.”

When Dube, 25, stepped away from the team last week, the Flames said in a statement that he was taking care of his mental health.

 “Dillon Dube has been granted an indefinite leave of absence from the team while he attends to his mental health. Dillon is under the care of health professionals, and we request that Dillon’s privacy is respected during this period.”

Dube is among the five players from Canada’s 2018 World Junior Championship gold medal-winning team that has been charged in the case from an incident that allegedly took place at an upscale London, Ontario hotel.

A woman, identified as E.M. in court documents involved in a civil lawsuit, alleges she met a man in a downtown London bar, left with him and had consensual sex with him at the hotel, but then he invited other players to the room to have sex with her without her consent, according to the London Free Press.

While London Police originally closed a case into the alleged incident in 2019, they re-opened it after a civil suit was brought against Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and eight unnamed players.

London Police re-opened the case about a year and a half ago, and as early as December 2022, believed there were reasonable grounds that five members of the World Junior team sexually assaulted the woman at the Delta London Armouries.

Authorities are expected to have a press conference on Feb. 5 to announce updates in the case.

Dube appeared in 43 games before stepping away from the team.