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The Hockey Canada sexual assault trial has concluded, with all five players being found not guilty. Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, and Cal Foote were the players on trial. They were accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room after celebrating their 2018 World Junior Championship victory. The verdict came down on Thursday after a lengthy trial process.
“[Judge Maria] Carroccia delivered her decision on Thursday, nearly six weeks after legal arguments concluded, and seven years after the alleged assault was first reported to London police,” The Athletic's Hailey Salvian reported. “Carroccia said that she did not find E.M.’s evidence ‘credible or reliable,' in explaining her reasoning.” E.M. is the alias for the woman who accused the men of assault.
Each of these players missed the entire 2024-25 season in the NHL due to this trial. Despite the accusations, they were never suspended from the league. This could open up an opportunity for all five players to come back.
The Hockey Canada trial went on for weeks and included a mistrial during the process. That was because of communication during a lunch break. Several weeks later, the judge handed down the verdicts, all of which were not guilty. McLeod was the only player tried on two counts, as he “had been portrayed by the prosecution as the ringleader for the events in the hotel room,” The Athletic's Sean Gentile wrote.
In 2022, Hockey Canada settled with E.M., but the case still went to trial. Upon the trial's beginning, many current NHL players who were on the 2018 World Junior team testified. That includes Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden, whose emotional testimony made headlines.
Judge Carroccia let all five men walk out of the courthouse on Thursday with no remaining charges against them.
