Former hockey all-star Theoren "Theo" Fleury told Â鶹´«Ã½ Channel he may file a criminal complaint against Graham James over allegations that the disgraced junior hockey coach sexually abused him as a teenager.
"We are in talks with everyone," Fleury said on Thursday. "When it's time, and when it's right for me and my family, we will make that decision."
Fleury first mentioned that he might lodge a legal complaint against James during a speaking engagement in Toronto on Wednesday.
He was promoting his new memoir, "Playing with Fire," in which the retired 41-year-old details his life so far, from growing up in a poor family on the Prairies to his career in the NHL.
The book also deals with the personal issues that drove him to alcoholism, drug abuse and gambling.
Fleury alleges that James sexually abused him repeatedly from the age of 14. The guilt he endured because of the abuse derailed his career on the ice, he writes, and crippled his personal relationships off the ice.
The allegations against James have not been proven in court, nor has he been charged in connection with them. James has not publicly commented on Fleury's allegations.
Eleven years ago, James was convicted of molesting two teenage players on the Swift Current Broncos, including Sheldon Kennedy, a friend of Fleury's.
At that time, Fleury said he wasn't mature enough to come forward. Now that he's been sober for four years, and is happily married, Fleury said the time was right to tell his story.
"I feel strong in what I'm bringing to the table at this time in my life, and I think it's really important that this needs to be talked about," he said. "There's a lot of people that are affected by it."
Fleury's professional career began with the Calgary Flames in 1989. The stocky, five-foot-six offensive dynamo helped the team win the Stanley Cup that year. He eventually recorded 455 goals and 633 assists over 1,084 games. He also won a gold medal as a member of Team Canada at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
His work on the ice earned him $50 million. But he lost it all due to his personal troubles.
"With any alcohol or addiction problems, it never gets better, it continually gets worse," he said.
Eventually he reached a point where the alcohol and drugs could no longer block out the demons that were haunting him. He contemplated suicide and had to make a decision about whether he was going to live or die.
"I think it was divine intervention that prevented me from pulling the trigger," Fleury said. "At that moment I thought about, you know, I've never quit anything in my life -- why am I quitting on life?"
"I felt it was kind of a selfish way to end it, and it was a turning point in my life for sure."
Looking ahead, Fleury said he will likely devote his future to supporting others. Several people have already contacted him for help through his website, he said.
"It's been a long, tough process," he said. "We're moving forward, and hopefully the rest of our life will continue to get better."
With files from The Canadian Press
