Nashville Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro told The Tennessean on Thursday that sexual assault charges against five members of Canada's 2018 gold medal-winning World Junior Championship team "definitely puts a damper" on the experience.

Fabbro, 25, was an alternate captain on that team, and his name was in no way connected with any of the allegations made by a woman against the Philadelphia Flyers' Carter Hart, the Calgary Flames' Dillion Dube, former NHL player Alex Formenton, and the New Jersey Devils' Michael McLeod and Cal Foote, a former Nashville Predator.

Foote briefly played for the Predators last season after he was acquired in the trade that sent Tanner Jeannot to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Fabbro knows the news will be permanently attached to that 2018 World Juniors team and said he didn't want to comment on the allegations beyond that.

Speaking strictly for himself, Fabbro said he had not experienced issues with "hockey culture" on his path to the NHL.

"I can't speak for other players, but my experience is great," Fabbro said. "Where we were at playing juniors (Penticton, British Columbia) was pretty strict and structured. (Coach and GM) Fred Harbinson puts a pretty tight leash on a lot of things, which is good.

"Kids at that age need structure, that kind of leader, and that's what our head coach was. We had a lot of great leaders on that team to help the young kids out and show them what it's like to be a pro. I was fortunate to learn from some great people.

"The rest of that," he said in relation to the 2018 team, "I don't really want to comment."

In wake of the charges filed in London, Ontario, Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby was asked during NHL All-Star weekend whether he thought there was a problem with hockey culture. Crosby said he was willing to share his views privately with the reporter who asked the question, away from "15-second soundbites" of the scrum setting that day.

What Crosby said during that conversation is not yet known.

All five players were charged last week with one count of sexual assault, which allegedly took place during the World Juniors tournament. McLeod faces an additional charge of “being a party to the offense,” a charge police said alleges he helped someone else to commit the offense.

Canadian authorities have apologized for taking this long to file charges.

Hockey Canada, the country's national governing body for hockey in the country, said Monday all 22 players on that team are suspended from participating in international competition, just days after the NHL announced its players will return to the Olympics for at least the 2026 and 2030 Winter Games.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Predators' Dante Fabbro on NHL hockey culture, Team Canada scandal