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INSIDE SPORT: Premier League fears grow that leading clubs will snub USA summer tournament, while Erik ten Hag breaks bread with media he accused of spreading ‘fairytales and lies’

No Premier League club has yet committed to the second Summer Series in the promised land of the United States.

Insiders say a number of ‘good discussions’ are ongoing over the pre-season tournament and add that they are confident of a positive outcome, as the clock continues to tick towards next July.

However, the lack of any confirmation will do little to ease fears that the top flight’s big guns will shun the competition.

A number of issues are at play. Champions Manchester City and Chelsea – who enjoy huge support in the US – are unavailable thanks to their participation in the Club World Cup (ironically being held across the US).

Then there is the problem of money, and how the top-flight can make this an attractive option for the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, who will not be short of offers.

No Premier League club has yet committed to the second Summer Series in the promised land of the United States

Chelsea reigned victorious in the Summer Series pre-season tournament that took place in America

An intriguing subplot – given the current civil war gripping the league – is the impact any additional revenues would have on a club’s position within the profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and whether it is fair that some should benefit in that regard from a tournament organised by the league itself.

It has also been reported that the Premier League is considering a sliding scale, which would see United and Liverpool form part of a four or six-team tournament with £6.3m each up for grabs.

Smaller clubs could expect less based on their share of the US market. Again, this is unlikely to go down well. United and Liverpool may well believe they could drive more revenue should they arrange their own matches while smaller clubs may well have their noses put out of joint.

To make matters worse, FIFA have now revealed Inter Miami will take part in their CWC, despite the fact that the MLS play-offs are yet to start. They have seemingly acted now to ensure Lionel Messi features, whether Miami – who finished top of the Eastern Conference – go on to be crowned champions or not. The competition for eyeballs in the US ahead of the World Cup is intense.

It has also been reported that the Premier League is considering a sliding scale, which would see United and Liverpool form part of a four or six-team tournament with £6.3m each up for grabs

Manchester City won’t be competing in the Summer Series as they plot another trophy victory in the Club World Cup

FIFA have now revealed Inter Miami and Lionel Messi will take part in their Club World Cup

None of this is lost on MLS commissioner Don Garber, who chose his words carefully when Inside Sport asked him recently for his thoughts on the prospect of a Premier League match heading to the US. ‘I hear that the Premier League is interested and that the fans aren’t in support of it,’ he said.

‘It’s up to them. I for one know the value of a regular season game, I know what it means to fans, I know what sovereignty means – that football is based around borders. I believe in the importance of those borders.’

Ten Hag makes annual awards appearance

On Friday he was accusing the media of making up ‘fairytales and lies’ over his future – and on Sunday Erik ten Hag was breaking bread with them.

The under-pressure Manchester United manager attended the Football Writers’ Association’s Northern Awards dinner for the second year in succession – and brought the FA Cup with him. Ten Hag has a decent relationship with the press and his presence at the annual shindig was a welcome sight.

Erik ten Hag attended the Football Writers’ Association’s Northern Awards dinner for the second year in succession on Sunday

Pique’s competition pride

Gerard Pique was the headline speaker at the recent Leaders in Sport backslapfest at Twickenham. The former Barcelona man waxed lyrical about the King’s League he created, which sees fans set the rules and streamers own each club.

Pique was effusive in his praise of the disruptor competition’s sponsors, which include adidas. That love, however, did not stop him from wearing a pair of Nike sneakers.

EFL meeting brought forward as Championship clubs consider ticket cap

Inside Sport has learned that the EFL’s annual summer meeting has been brought forward to February – in an attempt to tackle the various financial issues facing the game. Championship clubs will discuss new spending regulations while those in Leagues One and Two will examine amendments to existing arrangements.

While the summer meeting will still take place, it is hoped that the summit will be used as a rubber-stamping exercise. The lack of a redistribution deal with the Premier League and the forthcoming football regulator will also be high on the agenda.

Inside Sport has learned that the EFL’s annual summer meeting has been brought forward to February

It can also be disclosed that Championship clubs are considering mirroring the Premier League and introducing a £30 cap on tickets for away supporters. A decision is expected early in the new year, but only a small number are thought to be against the move.

Welsh clubs consider new cup territory

There is a growing feeling that clubs across the Severn who compete in the English league are attempting to ‘have their Welsh cake and eat it’, as one exec put it.

Swansea, Cardiff, Wrexham and Newport, who all ply their trade in England, are considering entering the Welsh League Cup – with the winners competing in Europe’s Conference League.

Swansea, Cardiff, Wrexham and Newport, who all ply their trade in England, are considering entering the Welsh League Cup – with the winners competing in Europe’s Conference League

Aside from the fact such qualification could wreak havoc with the Championship fixture calendar, there is also the argument that the revenues European qualification would bring would put give the side in question an unfair advantage over their English counterparts.

Sharing of such revenues was quickly dismissed on a recent call. ‘They’re more than welcome to play in the Welsh Cup – as long as they then go and play in the Welsh League,’ said another official.

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October 21, 2024
Former Olympic snowboarder accused of running large drug trafficking group

A former Olympic snowboarder is accused of running a major transnational drug trafficking organization that shipped massive amounts of cocaine and allegedly hired hitmen to murder multiple people, federal officials said.

Ryan Wedding, 43, a former Olympian from Canada who now resides in Mexico, is among 16 people charged in a federal indictment, the Department of Justice announced on Thursday.

The “prolific and ruthless” organized crime group shipped “literally tons of cocaine into the United States and Canada,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said during a press briefing.

“They were killers,” said Estrada. “Anyone who got in their way they would target with violence. Including murder.”

In this Feb. 14, 2002, file photo, Ryan Wedding of Canada competes in the qualifying round of the men’s parallel giant slalom snowboarding event during the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games at the Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah.

Adam Pretty/Getty Images, FILE

Wedding allegedly ran the billion-dollar operation for the past 13 years from Mexico, Estrada said. The organization allegedly moved about 60 tons of cocaine per year, Estrada said.

At one point, the group used the Los Angeles area as a hub for their operation, Estrada said. They allegedly used long-haul trucks to move shipments of cocaine from drug kitchens in Colombia to stash houses in Los Angeles and then would ship the cocaine to mostly Canada but also to the East Coast of the U.S., he said.

Wedding and others allegedly made billions of dollars, which they moved around in the form of cryptocurrency, according to Estrada. They’re accused of laundering a quarter of a billion dollars from April to September, he said.

A photo of narcotics prosecutors said were seized by law enforcement, which was included in a federal indictment.

U.S. Department of Justice

Law enforcement has seized more than one ton of cocaine, three firearms, dozens of rounds of ammunition, $255,400 in U.S. currency and more than $3.2 million in cryptocurrency as part of its investigation into the so-called Wedding Drug Trafficking Organization, the DOJ said.

The indictment also alleges that the operation used contract killers to assassinate anyone they saw as getting in their way. The victims were all shot execution-style in Canada, so their loved ones could see them murdered, prosecutors said.

The victims included two parents who were murdered in front of their daughter in a case of mistaken identity in 2023, Estrada said. The daughter was also shot multiple times but survived, he said.

Another victim was killed over a drug debt in May, and a fourth was murdered in April, prosecutors said.

Canadian former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, 43, who is a fugitive, is seen top left, with 15 other defendants who have been charged in a 16-count superseding indictment for allegedly running and participating in a transnational drug trafficking operation, are displayed on a video monitor as federal, local, and international officials announce federal charges and arrests of alleged members at a news conference at the FBI offices in Los Angeles, Oct. 17, 2024.

Damian Dovarganes/AP

Charges in the 16-count superseding indictment include drug counts, criminal enterprise charges and murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise and drug crime.

Many of the defendants were arrested in recent weeks in California, Michigan, Florida, Canada, Colombia and Mexico, prosecutors said. Several are expected to make their court appearances in the coming week in Los Angeles, Michigan and Miami.

Wedding is considered a fugitive and the FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for any information leading to his arrest, federal officials said.

Wedding, whose aliases include “El Jefe,” “Giant,” and “Public Enemy,” was previously charged in the original indictment and is the superseding indictment’s lead defendant, prosecutors said.

He competed for Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where he placed 24th in the giant parallel slalom.

If convicted of murder and attempted murder charges, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of life in federal prison, the DOJ said. The continuing criminal enterprise charges also carry a mandatory minimum penalty of life in federal prison.

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October 17, 2024
Ryan Wedding, ex-Olympian, accused of running murderous drug ring

LOS ANGELES — A former Olympic snowboarder for Canada has been charged with running a drug trafficking ring that shipped vast amounts of cocaine across the Americas and killed several people, authorities said Thursday.

The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and extradition of Ryan James Wedding, a Canadian citizen who was living in Mexico and is considered a fugitive.

The 43-year-old is charged in the United States with running a criminal enterprise, murder, conspiring to distribute cocaine and other crimes, U.S. prosecutors said.

Canada’s Ryan Wedding. PA Images via Getty Images

According to the indictment, Nahim Jorge Bonilla, who owns the companies Mandrake and Ruido Callejero Music, is accused of conspiring to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for Ryan James Wedding and Andrew Clark. FBI

U.S. authorities allege the group killed two members of a family in Canada in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment in what officials there said was a case of mistaken identity, and at least one other person.

Authorities further said Wedding’s group moved large shipments of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and California to Canada and other locations in the United States using long-haul semi-trucks.

Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder who also faces years-old charges in Canada, is one of 16 people charged in connection with a ring that moved 60 tons of cocaine a year, and four of them remain fugitives, said Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles.

“He chose to become a major drug trafficker and he chose to become a killer,” Estrada told reporters.

Krysti Hawkins, FBI special agent in charge in Los Angeles, said a dozen people were arrested in Florida, Michigan, Canada, Colombia and Mexico in connection with the case.

Authorities said they seized cocaine, weapons, ammunition, cash and more than $3 million in cryptocurrency in connection with their investigation.

Ryan Wedding of Canada competes in the qualifying round of the men’s parallel giant slalom snowboarding event during the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games. Getty Images

Wedding competed for Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, authorities said.

Wedding faces separate drug trafficking charges in Canada that date back to 2015, said Chris Leather, chief superintendent with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

“Those charges are very much unresolved,” Leather said.

According to the indictment, Nahim Jorge Bonilla, who owns the companies Mandrake and Ruido Callejero Music, is accused of conspiring to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for Ryan James Wedding and Andrew Clark. FBI

Wedding previously was convicted in the U.S. of conspiracy to distribute to cocaine and he was sentenced to prison in 2010, federal records show.

Estrada said U.S. authorities believe that after Wedding’s release, he resumed drug trafficking and has been protected by the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.

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October 17, 2024
Bachelor star, 36, was accused of ‘faking her condition’ and ‘left sitting in her own mess’ in an Uber after bowel cancer surgery left her incontinent

Sophie Edwards has revealed the devastating aftermath of her bowel cancer surgery.

The single mum from Adelaide, who starred on The Bachelor in 2016, was diagnosed with rectal adenocarcinoma – a form of bowel cancer – on June 14, 2022 despite having no family history of the disease and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The 36-year-old manager was left suffering incontinence and had to wear an adult nappy following her surgical procedure.

That recently led to an accident when she played in the Super Netball Grand Final in August.

When she tried to use a disabled toilet at the venue, a woman questioned Sophie and accused her of faking her condition.

‘She was questioning what was wrong with me, and it just made me feel so awful’ Sophie tells Adelaide Now.

‘She made me feel so small, like I wasn’t a human being’ she added.

‘So I just left. I got into an Uber and sat in my own filth on the way home, just sobbing.’

Sophie Edwards (pictured) has revealed the devastating aftermath of her bowel cancer surgery

After that hamulating experience, the former reality star had surgery to inset a sacral nerve stimulator, which has helped her manage her symptoms.

‘I’m never going to be 100 per cent like I was before cancer but this has given me some normality,’ she said.

Sophie thought she had a ‘tummy bug’ – but was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer after visiting her doctor in 2022.

She told FEMAIL she noticed a change bowel habits 12 weeks before visiting a doctor, and at first physicians were dismissive of her symptoms.

Since then the young mum has been on an emotional rollercoaster and says this time last year she was a ‘completely different person’.

She was diagnosed with rectal adenocarcinoma – a form of bowel cancer – on June 14, 2022 despite having no family history of the disease and maintaining a healthy lifestyle

The 36-year-old manager was left suffering incontinence and had to wear an adult nappy following her surgical procedure

‘I needed the toilet more and more frequently to the point where I started having accidents – which was very embarrassing – then had severe intense pain,’ she said.

‘I was extremely unwell; It prompted me to go see a doctor because I couldn’t eat or drink anything either.’

Because of the pain her mum took her to the closest local GP who unfortunately dismissed her symptoms.

‘The doctor told me to take gastro tablets, but mum advocated for testing,’ Sophie said and completed a stool sample.

Surprisingly blood tests didn’t detect anything sinister.

When she was able to get in touch with her regular doctor who reviewed the tests, ‘microscopic’ amounts of blood were detected in the stools.

Sophie then met with a gastric entomologist for a CT scan that ‘detected something’ but at the time specialists couldn’t determine what it was.

The single mum from Adelaide starred on The Bachelor in 2016 (pictured)

That recently led to an accident when she played in the Super Netball Grand Final in August. When she tried to use a disabled toilet at the venue, a woman questioned Sophie and accused her of faking her condition

‘It all happened so quickly; it took 10 days from first going to the doctor to being diagnosed,’ she said.

On June 14, 2022, a colonoscopy found the 7cm tumour and confirmed it was cancerous.

‘When you hear the word “cancer” you automatically think you’re going to die. You have no idea what path is going to show up before you,’ she said.

‘I felt completely numb and overwhelmed, and immediately I thought of my seven-year-old son Jaxon.

‘Mum was beside me completely shell shocked and wished it was her going through this and not me.’

It was also ‘torturous’ waiting to confirm if it had spread elsewhere – which it hadn’t.

‘She was questioning what was wrong with me, and it just made me feel so awful’ Sophie tells Adelaide Now. ‘She made me feel so small, like I wasn’t a human being’ she added. ‘So I just left. I got into an Uber and sat in my own filth on the way home, just sobbing’

She dived straight into radiation treatments which were ‘intense’.

‘You don’t feel the effects until you’ve finished and I was taking chemotherapy tablets morning and night too,’ Sophie said.

After 25 rounds of radiotherapy it felt as if ‘acid had been tipped into her abdominal’ and was left in ‘so much pain’.

‘The after effects were awful and horrific, but it had to be done,’ she said.

During a three-week break from treatment Sophie was hospitalised for five days after experiencing ‘severe, unbearable pain’ from her body processing the stress of the treatment.

For this type of cancer Sophie didn’t need surgery.

She said she is also extremely grateful for the wonderful doctors we have in Australia, and estimates Medicare has covered roughly $40,000 in medical fees.

‘I’ve paid around $8,000 out of pocket and wouldn’t have been able to afford the whole medical bill if it wasn’t covered by Medicare,’ she said.

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October 13, 2024
Female kids’ football coach is allegedly knocked out by player’s father who is accused of attacking her from behind
- A youth football coach was allegedly ‘knocked out’
- The incident happened at an Under 10s tournament
- Auckland United have condemned the incident
By Ed Carruthers

Published: 07:34 EDT, 3 October 2024 | Updated: 07:35 EDT, 3 October 2024

A female youth football coach was reportedly knocked unconscious by a spectator who had allegedly ‘attacked her from behind’ during a junior tournament at Keith Hay Park in Auckland on Sunday.

Police said to the New Zealand Herald that they are investigating the incident and are making enquiries after the Ellerslie AFC coach was left needing treatment in hospital.

According to reports from the New Zealand Herald, the spectator, who was believed to be the parent of a Papakura City FC player had been ‘making threatening gestures’ during the Under 10s semi-final match.

Some of those signs had allegedly included a ‘throat-slitting motion’ which was made towards Ellerslie spectators.

The attack had allegedly taken place while the Ellerslie coach was on her way to the bathroom after her side had been beaten. The tournament’s final was subsequently delayed by approximately 30 minutes as emergency services attended the coach.

A female youth football coach was reportedly knocked unconscious by an opposition supporter

The incident occurred at the Keith Hay Park in Auckland on Sunday during a youth football tournament

Auckland United, who had hosted the tournament, said they had a ‘zero-tolerance policy’ towards such behaviour and were ‘deeply disappointed by the incident.’

‘We are aware of an incident after a game on Sunday afternoon that involved an ambulance being called due to an altercation between two members of visiting clubs,’ the football club said in a statement to the New Zealand Herald.

‘We maintain a zero-tolerance policy against poor sideline behaviour and are deeply disappointed by this incident. Auckland United prides itself on creating a safe and supportive environment for all, and incidents of this nature have no place in sport.

‘No Auckland United staff witnessed the incident first-hand, and as the police are involved, we will refrain from further comment while the investigation is ongoing.’

Northern Region Football (NRF) chief executive Laura Menzies described the incident as ‘shocking’ and added ‘everyone should feel safe’ at football events.

The park is located just to the south-east of Auckland city centre, with the event being hosted by Auckland United

‘We have reached out to the three clubs involved to offer support while the incident is under police investigation,’ Menzies said.

Papakura FC issued a statement to the New Zealand Herald, stating: ‘We were deeply saddened to hear of the alleged events that occurred after one of our Junior Girls teams attended a festival over the weekend. Our sympathies go out to all involved.

‘Papakura City FC does not condone behaviour that has no place in sports. As the incident is under police investigation, we are waiting for reports with the full and accurate information before we begin our own internal process.’

The coach is said to be recovering at home, with Ellerslie telling the outlet that they are supporting both the football coach and her team emotionally.

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Female kids’ football coach is allegedly knocked out by player’s father who is accused of attacking her from behind
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October 3, 2024
WADA’s new issue means athletes accused of doping violations could have gone untracked during Paris Olympics – Firstpost

The gravity of the situation extends beyond technical failures, with WADA’s lawyers warning in May that the agency risked violating its own rules.
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In the lead-up to the Paris Olympics, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reportedly lost track of over 900 potential doping results, with at least 2,000 cases possibly impacted by flawed, missing, or erroneous data in the organization’s database, according to a report by the New York Times.

Despite top WADA officials being alerted to these issues back in May, the situation has been shrouded in secrecy, remaining hidden even from the agency’s executive board members until NYT reporters uncovered photographic evidence of the presentation presented at a meeting.

Database error rocks WADA

The presentation urged immediate action after WADA’s legal team discovered the data problems and found themselves unable to confirm whether staff were adequately monitoring cases involving athletes potentially bound for the Olympics.

While WADA has faced persistent challenges with its computer systems since its inception, the situation has worsened in the lead-up to the Paris Games. According to two officials and the PowerPoint presentation, a new internal database has been causing escalating issues, impacting a growing number of cases.

Over 900 test results showing banned substances failed to appear in WADA’s database, which is used to track cases. An additional 1,700 cases had incomplete information, missing critical codes that link them to specific athletes’ samples. Furthermore, 750 cases lacked sufficient details to identify the athletes involved.

WADA downplays the situation

WADA has since acknowledged the meeting but downplayed the situation, describing it as a discussion about “temporary technical issues” due to a data migration. The organization maintained that the so-called “missing” results were the result of these technical challenges and asserted that the problems had “no negative impact whatsoever” on the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, pointing out that multiple databases were used to track cases.

However, a former anti-doping official briefed on the matter told the New York Times that the database problems were still unresolved when the Games started. This revelation adds to the scrutiny WADA faces, especially after it was discovered that 23 Chinese swimmers competed in the Tokyo Olympics despite failing anti-doping tests.

The gravity of the situation extends beyond technical failures, with WADA’s lawyers warning in May that the agency risked violating its own rules.

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October 2, 2024
Florida man accused of throwing Chihuaha off balcony ‘like a football’

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A Florida man was jailed after he threw a Chihuahua off of a balcony, causing the animal to break several bones, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Dalton Chad Sousa, 30, of Fort Myers was arrested on Monday after police learned from a local animal hospital that a 3-year-old Chihuahua named Raven had been thrown off a balcony “like a football.”

The individual who dropped the dog off reportedly told vets at the clinic that one of his friends threw the dog, according to deputies.

The dog suffered several fractures, including a broken leg and mandible, according to law enforcement.

Dalton Chad Sousa, 30, of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, has been accused of throwing a 3-year-old Chihuahua from a balcony ‘like a football,’ causing the dog to suffer multiple broken bones (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)

Detectives tracked down the dog’s owner, and learned that it was Sousa who threw the dog from the balcony.

He was arrested on a charge of aggravated animal cruelty the next day, according to deputies.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno issued a statement saying that it is “always diappointing to learn of an innocent animal abused by an owner they trust.”

“Violent and abusive behavior towards an animal will NOT be tolerated in Lee County,” the sheriff said. “This suspect will now pay the price for this disgusting crime.”

Raven is currently in the care of the Blue Pearl Animal Hospital and is expected to fully recover from her injuries.

Florida chihuahua Raven, 3, is recovering after being thrown off a balcony ‘like a football’ by Dalton Chad Sousa (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)

This isn’t the first time a cruel individual tossed a dog off a balcony in Florida; in 2022, Shelly Nicole Vaughn, 46, tossed her then-boyfriend’s pet pug Bucky to his death from a 7th floor balcony during a heated argument.

“I was just screaming, I was horrified,” the dog’s owner, Eric Adeson, 56, told the New York Post at the time. “I lost Bucky and I lost someone I cared about. There’s just so much tragedy in this story.”

Vaughn was ultimately sentenced to just under a year in prison after she pleaded guilty to a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals and criminal mischief, according to the Tampa Bay Times. She was also given four years probation and is barred from owning any animals.

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September 10, 2024
Hockey Canada accused cited new contracts abroad, training and construction work as reasons for skipping pretrial hearings

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Mike McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were charged this past February with committing a sexual assault against a woman following a 2018 Hockey Canada function where they were celebrated as members of that year’s world junior squad.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press

Five former NHL players who stand criminally charged with an alleged 2018 group sexual assault provided statements to court about their fading hockey hopes as part of their successful applications to skip non-essential hearings so they can work or train elsewhere.

In August, when Justice Bruce Thomas granted permission for the five to not attend a number of pretrial hearings, he relied on attestations about the difficulties they would face given their commitments. These included submissions, obtained by The Globe and Mail, that two are playing for hockey teams abroad, two are training full time in hopes of landing paid hockey work, and a fifth player said he is now driving heavy equipment as he apprentices in the construction trade.

“There is only a small window of time in which players are at their peak of conditioning and performance, and able to compete at a high level,” former NHLer Mike McLeod said in a July affidavit. Mr. McLeod said he cannot appear in a Canadian court for pretrial hearings if he wants to keep his new job playing professionally in Kazakhstan.

Mr. McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were charged this past February with committing a sexual assault against a woman following a 2018 Hockey Canada function where they were celebrated as members of that year’s world junior squad. The five accused deny committing any crimes and have agreed to being present in court to plead not guilty when a jury is convened in 2025.

The criminal charges were laid after a long-running London Police Service probe. Now, nearly 30 court days have been scheduled for pretrial hearings that will last until January, none of which the players will be required to attend.

While the onus is on an accused in Canada to attend criminal court hearings, applications for absences are commonplace, but require permission from a judge. Each of the players swore an affidavit this summer.

“I have been learning to operate excavators, skid-steer loaders and rollers,” writes Mr. Formenton, formerly a member of the Ottawa Senators. His affidavit says he needs time to learn. “Having focused on hockey my entire life, it is challenging to transition to a new line of work.”

Teams who participate in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League have hired two other accused, who said their scheduled games abroad conflict with the pretrial hearings.

“Since I was charged, I have been unable to play in the National Hockey League,” writes Mr. McLeod, a former New Jersey Devil. He says he could not keep his KHL job in Kazakhstan if he had to attend pretrial proceedings in Canada. “When court day starts at 10:00 a.m. EST, it will be 7:00 p.m. in Astana, which is the time when some home games will start.”

Mr. Dubé, a former Calgary Flame, also plays professional hockey in the KHL, in his case in Belarus – a seven-hour time difference away. He says that he would be hard-pressed to attend court in Canada, especially during away games in eastern Asia. “When I travel to play in the KHL, I will often be in time zones with even a greater difference to that of my court proceedings.”

The two accused who are not playing hockey professionally say they still train full-time in hopes of catching on with another professional team some day.

“I am required to follow a daily and stringent training regimen,” says Mr. Foote, a former New Jersey Devil. “If I am unable to train at this level consistently, my ability to continue playing professional hockey will be jeopardized.”

Mr. Hart, a former Philadelphia Flyer, says he intends to move from his home province of Alberta to Tennessee to work out full-time with a fellow former professional hockey player.

“If I am required to attend the pretrial motions, whether in person or remotely, it would be impossible for me to maintain my daily training regimen,” he writes. His affidavit says he has hired an immigration lawyer. “I have been previously denied entry to the United States due to my criminal charge.”

The Crown did not oppose these applications. When Justice Thomas granted the players permission to not attend the hearings, he said they all had legitimate grounds.

“It is clear that each of the applicants has a need to work or find work not only to sustain themselves, but to pay their expenses, which at this point, includes legal fees,” he wrote. His ruling says this amounts to “compelling economic reasons for their proposed absence.”

Justice Thomas’s order from August says that lawyers will be representing each accused during the pretrial hearings and that when these phases are finished “each applicant has committed to personally attending each day of their trial.”

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September 9, 2024