NHL analyst left dismayed by timing of league's Utah expansion team news coinciding with Hockey Canada scandal update

The NHL found itself under scrutiny as the announcement of a potential expansion team in Utah coincided with updates on a scandal involving Hockey Canada.

Jesse Marshall, a prominent NHL analyst, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his dismay at what he perceived as a transparent attempt at manipulating the news cycle.

"The NHL releasing some dumb Utah expansion news in the wake of the Hockey Canada information breaking is about as translucent of a news cycle manipulation attempt as I've ever seen," tweeted Marshall

The controversy stems from Smith Entertainment Group (SEG), the parent company of the NBA's Utah Jazz, formally requesting the NHL to initiate an expansion process for the purpose of bringing an NHL team to Utah.

SEG, led by Ryan Smith, the chairman of the company and governor of the Utah Jazz, expressed eagerness to welcome an NHL franchise to Salt Lake City as soon as the next season, with the interim home arena being the Delta Center, the current home of the Jazz.

In their press release, SEG stated that discussions between Ryan Smith, Ashley Smith, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman had been ongoing since 2002. The NHL responded to SEG's request with a carefully worded statement.

"The NHL appreciates the interest expressed by Smith Entertainment Group to bring NHL hockey to Utah. During conversations over the course of the past two years, we have been impressed by Ryan and Ashley Smith's commitment to their community and their passion and vision for Utah, not only as a hockey market, but as a preeminent sports and entertainment destination. Utah is a promising market, and we look forward to continuing our discussions," stated the NHL in response to SEG's request.

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What is the Hockey Canada scandal? All details known so far

The investigation into an alleged sexual assault involving members of the 2018 Canada World Juniors hockey team may soon reveal the names of those implicated. The Globe and Mail reported on Jan. 24 that five players from the 2018 team were told to surrender to face charges of sexual assault. While the players' names remain undisclosed, they have not yet been formally charged.

The investigation, ongoing since 2022, gained momentum when police investigators in London, Ont., found "reasonable grounds" to believe that five team members assaulted a woman in a hotel room after a Hockey Canada fundraising gala in 2018.

Hockey Canada initially closed the case in 2019, but public backlash and sponsorship withdrawals prompted a reopening in 2022. In response to the allegations, Hockey Canada signed on with the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner and undertook measures like mandatory sexual violence training and a governance review.

While the five players' identities remain unknown, several team members denied involvement. Some notable names are Jake Bean, Kale Clague, Max Comtois, Dillon Dube, Dante Fabbro, Cal Foote, Jonah Gadjovich, Carter Hart, Brett Howden, Cale Makar, Colton Point, Taylor Raddysh, Sam Steel, Tyler Steenbergen, Robert Thomas and Conor Timmins, who have denied involvement.

Whereas Victor Mete and Jordan Kyrou said they weren't in London as they did not attend the gala.