Five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior ice hockey team have been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room following a Hockey Canada gala that year.
Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart, and Cal Foote had each been charged with one count of sexual assault stemming from an alleged incident in a hotel room in London, Ontario. McLeod also faced an additional charge of being a party to an offence. All five, who have played in the National Hockey League (NHL), pleaded not guilty — and were acquitted on all charges, including McLeod’s additional count.
Delivering the verdict on Thursday, Justice Maria Carroccia said she did not find the complainant’s evidence to be “credible or reliable” and ruled that the Crown had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the complainant did not consent to the sexual activity.
Despite the acquittals, the NHL issued a statement acknowledging the disturbing nature of the allegations. “The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing and the behavior at issue was unacceptable,” the league said. It added that the players will remain ineligible to play in the NHL while the league reviews the judge’s findings and determines its next steps.
The complainant, who is identified as E.M. due to a publication ban, did not attend court in person but watched the proceedings remotely. Her lawyer, Karen Bellehumeur, said E.M. was “very disappointed” with the verdict and with the judge’s assessment of her credibility. “She’s really never experienced not being believed like this before,” Bellehumeur said.
Crown attorney Meaghan Cunningham told reporters that prosecutors will carefully review the decision but declined further comment, noting that the case remains within the appeal period.
The high-profile trial had drawn national attention and renewed scrutiny of Hockey Canada, already under pressure in recent years over how it has handled allegations of sexual misconduct involving players.