There was another major update in the 2018 Hockey Canada investigation today as all the named players are set to face charges. However, one of the players involved dug himself into an even deeper hole as it came out that he lied to his team.
The Calgary Flames released a full statement regarding Dillon Dube today on X. In the statement, they clarified that Dube had asked for a leave of absence and that he specifically cited mental health reasons. This is why the team cited mental health concerns when they made the announcement last week.
That being said, it does seem unlikely that the team would have no idea that this was coming. Rumors about the incident and the possible players involved have been around for quite some time now, and while those rumors remained unsubstantiated until recently, it is almost inconceivable that the team would not at least have an idea that Dube could be in this situation. Given the timing with other players requesting leave on the same day, it adds even more questions as to what the Flames did and did not know. Many fans believe the team is simply lying about the situation.
Regardless, it seems that Dube's future in the NHL is all but over. We may have to wait until the trial before we know for sure, but it is also possible that these players, including Dube, will have their contracts terminated before then. Stay tuned to see what happens next for Dube and the Flames.