Five former members of Canada’s world junior hockey team walked free Thursday after being found not guilty of sexual assault charges stemming from a 2018 incident in London, Ontario.
Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia cleared Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote of all charges.
The case centered around events that took place in a hotel room after a celebration of the team’s World Junior Championship victory.
“I cannot rely upon the evidence,” Carroccia said, finding the complainant’s testimony wasn’t “credible or reliable.”
McLeod, who prosecutors called the “architect” of the incident, faced an additional charge of “being a party to the offense.” He was acquitted of both counts.
The night began at a London bar, where McLeod met the woman before inviting her back to his hotel room. What happened next became the subject of dramatically different accounts during the six-week trial.
The woman testified she never consented to sexual acts with multiple players. But the defense painted a completely different picture, arguing she was a willing participant who later changed her story.
Two other players from the 2018 team took the stand. Brett Howden and Tyler Steenbergen testified that the woman had actually asked if anyone would have sex with her.
It was a complicated case from the start. The trial began with a jury but switched to judge-alone after Carroccia had to dismiss two different panels.
While the judge noted some inconsistencies in McLeod’s various accounts of that night, she didn’t find them serious enough to dismiss his version of events.
The case has rocked Canadian hockey and sparked intense debate about athlete behavior and consent. All five players had promising NHL careers put on hold while facing these serious charges.
The verdict marks the end of a legal battle that’s stretched nearly six years since that summer night in London.
