A former player with the Vancouver Canucks has been charged with sexual assault and assault after a military trip to Europe.
Dave "Tiger" Williams was in Latvia in December when the incidents are alleged to have taken place, the Canadian Armed Forces said in a statement Friday.
Williams was a passenger on a flight as part of a visit meant to boost morale of deployed Canadian troops.
The CAF has not provided details of what is alleged to have happened leading up to the charges, but said the matter will be before the court in Ottawa. CTV News has learned the alleged victim is a military flight attendant.
"Every allegation of sexual assault is taken seriously by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service," Lt.-Col. Kevin Cadman said in the statement.
"In all cases, no matter who the accused is, we strive to restore the dignity of victims by fully investigating their complaints, gathering evidence, reconstructing events, and if warranted, laying appropriate charges."
A spokesperson told The Canadian Press Williams was charged Wednesday and arrested on Friday. He was charged with two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault under the Criminal Code.
He was released from custody on a promise to appear in court.
Williams played with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1974 to 1980, and broke several Leafs and NHL penalty minute records during that time. The 64-year-old is still the league's career leader in regular season penalty minutes, with 3,971 in total.
He was then traded to the Canucks, where he played for four years. During his time in Vancouver, he played in the All Star game on a line with Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy, and is credited with helping the team reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1982.
The Saskatchewan native also played with the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and Hartford Whalers before hanging up his skates in 1988.
In a statement, the Toronto Maple Leafs said the team had been made aware of the charges, and wanted to acknowledge the courage of the victim.
"As an organization, we stand firmly against all or any forms of physical and emotional assault," director of media relations Steve Keough said.
"With so little information available to us at this moment, and out of respect for the necessary legal process, we will refrain from commenting any further at this time."
With files from The Canadian Press
