Former Victoriaville Tigres Players Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Assault

Former players of the Tigres de Victoriaville, Nicolas Daigle and Massimo Siciliano, have been sentenced to prison for the sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl in 2021 following their victory in the LHJMQ’s President’s Cup.

Nicolas Daigle will serve 32 months behind bars, while his former teammate Massimo Siciliano will spend 30 months incarcerated. The two young men pleaded guilty last October to sexually assaulting the young girl early in the morning on June 6, 2021, in a hotel in Lac-Beauport. Daigle also pleaded guilty to two charges of filming and sharing a video of the act.

The victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, was a hotel employee in the Quebec region where the team was staying during the President’s Cup playoffs. She had agreed to go to the hotel room only with Daigle but upon arrival found Siciliano there, feeling trapped. She was assaulted by both men for about 40 minutes.

Following their indictment, the two 21-year-old former hockey players had to give up their professional careers. The Court of Quebec’s Judge Thomas Jacques considered the fact that the two defendants had no criminal record and have positive development potential as mitigating factors.

According to the judge, the two young men never took the necessary steps to obtain the victim’s consent for a threesome. He added that the sentence reflects society’s condemnation of the defendants’ behavior.

Prosecutor Michel Bérubé stated afterward that he was satisfied with the sentences imposed and praised the victim’s courage for coming forward and filing a complaint. He added that this decision sent a strong message to sports organizations, especially hockey leagues.