Judge acquits 5 former Canadian
junior hockey players in sexual assault case that rattled the nation
[July 25, 2025]
LONDON, Ontario (AP) — An Ontario judge acquitted five former
members of Canada’s world junior hockey team on Thursday in their
sexual assault case, saying the complainant's allegations lacked the
credibility needed to justify the charges.
Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia said prosecutors could not
meet the onus of proof for the charges against Michael McLeod,
Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote.
All five players had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault in an
encounter that took place in a London, Ontario, hotel room in the
early hours of June 19, 2018. Years of speculation regarding the
allegations — fueled by a lawsuit settlement, parliamentary hearings
and revived investigations by the police and Hockey Canada, along
with an NHL investigation — all preceded a complex trial earlier
this year that included a mistrial and the dismissal of the jury,
leaving the verdict to Carroccia.
Carroccia explained her reasoning for the acquittals in detail over
the course of about five hours, highlighting the complainant's
“tendency to blame others” for inconsistencies in her allegations.
She also said the woman went to “great lengths” to point out that
she was really drunk through the course of the night, but that is
not supported by surveillance video from a bar and hotel that night
and the testimony of others.
McLeod was also acquitted — and pleaded not guilty — on a separate
count of being a party to the offense, an unusual application of a
charge that is more typically seen in murder cases.
The players, who are now between the ages of 25 and 27, were in
London at the time for a gala and golf tournament marking their
championship victory. They walked out of the courthouse surrounded
by family members following the verdict.
Their lawyers called the result a “resounding vindication.”
Karen Bellehumeur, the woman's lawyer, told reporters outside the
courthouse that her client was devastated.
“She’s really never experienced not being believed like this
before,” Bellehumeur said. “She agreed to do everything asked of her
by the criminal justice system. She spoke to the police whenever
requested, she reviewed her evidence, she prepared her testimony,
she answered every question, she spoke with intelligence and from
her heart, yet it was not enough.”
The NHL said the players — none of whom is currently on an NHL
roster or has an active contract — remained ineligible to play in
the league while it reviews the judge's findings, adding in a
statement that the allegations in the case were disturbing, even if
not determined to be criminal.
The NHL Players Association said the five should have the
opportunity to return to the ice, adding that the league's
eligibility ruling was “inconsistent” with discipline procedures in
the collective bargaining agreement.
Prosecutor Meaghan Cunningham thanked the complainant for coming
forward, adding that her team will “carefully review” the judge’s
decision while it’s still within the 30-day appeal period.
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Dillon Dube is seen arriving at the London Courthouse in London,
Ontario, Thursday, July 24, 2025. (Nicole Osborne/The Canadian Press
via AP)
The woman testified in May that she was naked,
drunk and scared when four of the men showed up unexpectedly in her
room at the Delta Hotel London Armouries and felt the only “safe”
option was to do what they wanted. Prosecutors argued the players
did what they wanted without taking steps to ensure she was
voluntarily consenting to sexual acts.
“I made the choice to dance with them and drink at the bar, I did
not make the choice to have them do what they did back at the
hotel,” she testified.
Defense attorneys cross-examined her for days and suggested she
actively participated in or initiated sexual activity because she
wanted a “wild night.” Two short videos of the complainant taken by
McLeod the night of the encounter were played in court. In one, the
woman says it was “all consensual,” though she told the court that
wasn’t how she truly felt.
Protesters gathered outside a packed London courthouse on Thursday
morning, holding signs that signaled support for the complainant,
whose identity was not disclosed throughout the trial under Canadian
law.
The public didn’t learn of the allegations for years. Police closed
their initial investigation without charges in early 2019, but the
complainant sued Hockey Canada in 2022. The organization settled the
lawsuit amid intense scrutiny that cost it sponsors, but police
reopened their investigation.
The players’ identities were made public when they were charged in
early 2024. At the time, four of them played in the NHL — Dube for
the Calgary Flames, Hart for the Philadelphia Flyers, and McLeod and
Foote for the New Jersey Devils. Formenton had previously played for
the Ottawa Senators before joining a Swiss team. All went on
indefinite leave.
The NHL launched its own investigation in 2022. Officials pledged to
release the findings, though Commissioner Gary Bettman said in
February that would depend on what the league can say given legal
proceedings.
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