Two former QMJHL players await sentencing after pleading guilty to sexual assault

A pair of former QMJHL players have pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 17-year-old in 2021.

The players — Nicolas Daigle and Massimo Siciliano, both 21 — were Victoriaville Tigres at the time of the assault, which took place on June 6. They were charged with sexually assaulting a hotel employee in Quebec City, where they were participating in the 2021 playoffs.

While both players are pleading guilty to sexual assault charges, Daigle is also pleading guilty to making and distributing a video of the incident.

The pair of players had their trial scheduled to begin this week before Quebec court Judge Thomas Jacques prior to entering their pleas. Their guilty pleas reportedly came after Jacques ruled that videos made by Daigle and Siciliano in the moments following the assault would be admissible during the trial.

"I hope that the courage of the victim in this case, who came forward to police and was brave enough to be willing to go through a trial, will inspire anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault to come forward – no matter how powerful or influential their perpetrator might have been," crown attorney Michel Berube said in an interview with TSN's Rick Westhead.

"I also hope that anyone who might be tempted to do something like sexual assault will see this case and have a second thought about the consequences."

According to Westhead's reporting, Berube will recommend prison time for both Daigle and Siciliano. They could face a sentence as long as 10 years.

Daigle and Siciliano have been ordered to return to court in just over a week on October 20 to discuss a sentencing date.

The two players were first charged on October 5, 2021. At the time they had participated in Victoriaville's training camp and preseason games. The next day the QMJHL suspended both of them indefinitely.