Hockey coach denies sex allegations

A North Vancouver hockey coach is denying allegations that he repeatedly sexually assaulted a young player from one of his teams.

Dusan Benicky faces seven charges of sexual assault and sexual interference involving the player, who was 10 when the alleged offences began in 1991.

Police said the attacks continued until 1995, when the victim was 14.

Benicky, 56, told a Vancouver radio station late Wednesday the charges were fabricated, nonsense and untrue.

RCMP asked for any other alleged victims, or anyone with information on the case, to contact them.

Police were asked Wednesday why it took 18 years for the alleged offences to be reported.

"It just took that long for the victim to get the strength to come forward," said Cpl. Marlene Morton of North Vancouver RCMP. Morton said the individual contacted police last May and the allegations have been under investigation since then.

Canucks deny Benicky was employee

Benicky founded the Hockey Performance Centre in North Vancouver, which runs hockey camps.

His online resumé said he worked with the Vancouver Canucks as a conditioning trainer from 1985 to 1996.

The Canucks issued a statement earlier Wednesday saying the team had no record of Benicky as an employee.

The resumé also said Benicky worked with University of B.C. athletes from 1983 to 1996, along with Team Slovakia at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and the Czech national team at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.