A judge announced on Thursday that five former players from Canada’s 2018 world junior ice hockey team have been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room that year. The charges against Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart, and Cal Foote stemmed from an incident that occurred in a hotel room in London, a Canadian city, following a Hockey Canada gala celebrating the team’s world junior championship victory.
All five former National Hockey League (NHL) players were charged with one count of sexual assault, while McLeod faced an additional charge of being a party to an offence. They all pleaded not guilty. McLeod was also acquitted of the additional charge.
The NHL issued a statement saying, “The allegations made in this case, even if not deemed criminal, were very disturbing and the behaviour in question was unacceptable.” The league added that it will review the judge’s findings and that “While we carry out that analysis and consider next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the League.”
According to CBC News, Justice Maria Carroccia informed the court that she did not find the complainant’s evidence to be “credible or reliable” and that the Crown failed to prove she did not consent to the sexual activity. Karen Bellehumeur, a lawyer for the complainant, identified only as E.M. due to a publication ban, stated that she had spoken to her client – who watched the proceedings remotely – after the verdict. “She’s obviously very disappointed with the outcome and with Her Honour’s assessment of her honesty and reliability,” said Bellehumeur. “She’s never experienced not being believed like this before.”
Crown attorney Meaghan Cunningham told reporters that they would “carefully review” Carroccia’s decision but declined further comment as the case remains within the appeal period. The defense strategy primarily focused on challenging E.M.’s credibility. “Justice Carroccia’s carefully reasoned decision represents a strong vindication for Mr. McLeod and his co-defendants,” said McLeod’s lawyer, David Humphrey. “She found the complainant’s testimony lacked credibility and was unreliable.”
When charges were laid in January 2024, McLeod and Foote were with the New Jersey Devils, Dube played for the Calgary Flames, Hart for the Philadelphia Flyers, and Formenton was playing in Switzerland. The trial, which commenced in April and garnered national attention, faced multiple disruptions, including a mistrial and two jury dismissals, before proceeding as a judge-alone trial.
Police had initially closed an investigation without charges in February 2019. However, the case was reopened in July 2022 following public outrage over reports that Hockey Canada had utilized players’ registration fees to fund a private settlement with the complainant. This scandal led the Canadian federal government to freeze Hockey Canada’s funding for 10 months. Several major sponsors also paused or cancelled their agreements with the organization. In response, Hockey Canada pledged to cease using the player-funded pool to settle sexual assault claims. The organization’s CEO and board of directors subsequently resigned.
In 2023, Hockey Canada announced that an independent panel had conducted a hearing to determine if certain members of the 2018 junior team breached its code of conduct, and if so, what sanctions should be applied. The final report is currently under appeal and remains confidential. Hockey Canada has not publicly identified the party who filed the appeal. In September, the panel adjourned the appeal hearing until the criminal trial was concluded. “To preserve the integrity of the ongoing appeal of the panel’s report, we are not able to comment further at this time,” Hockey Canada stated following the verdict.
