Local hockey coach accused of sexual assault maintains his innocence, lawyer says
The criminal defence lawyer who appeared in court on behalf of a Barrie hockey coach charged with sexual assault maintains the accused is innocent.
In a statement to CTV News, lawyer Alex McLeod said Ryan Wood 'maintains his innocence and has confidence in the criminal justice system.'
The comments from the defence lawyer came hours after McLeod appeared on behalf of Wood Monday morning in a virtual Barrie courtroom where the Crown imposed a publication ban protecting the identity of the complainant from being revealed.
Ryan Wood
Ryan Wood is pictured wearing a Purple Cobras ball cap in this photo from December 2024.
(CTV News/Chris Garry)
The embattled minor hockey league coach and team owner is accused of sexual assault after being charged last month, not long after police confirmed a complainant came forward in May alleging the sexual assault took place in Barrie.
Wood, who is well-known in the local hockey community, also served as a billet parent for the Barrie Colts for three years. The OHL team said Wood is no longer a billet parent and the alleged incident took place during the off-season when there were no team-sanctioned events being held.
CTV News has confirmed the complainant in the case is not a member of the Barrie Colts or the Purple Cobras Hockey organization, a youth minor hockey association owned and coached by Wood.
The Purple Cobras play in the Klevr Super League (KSL) which has since suspended Wood and the Purple Cobras from the league pending a new owner of the team being put in place.
The matter is scheduled to return to a virtual courtroom in September. The allegations against Ryan Wood have not been tested in court.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
25 minutes ago
- CTV News
Cambridge council defers fireworks decision
As the debate about fireworks rages on, one council said they need more time to decide what kind of regulations they want to impose. The discussion came before Cambridge council Tuesday night. As in other jurisdictions, councillors considered reducing the number of hours that fireworks could be lawfully set off, banning the sale of fireworks within the city and increasing fines for people who defy the bylaw. The concerns brought before council mirrored what has been presented at other council meetings throughout Waterloo Region: noise, environmental impacts and safety. A recent incident on Victoria Day was specifically mentioned. In that case, fireworks were stolen from a convenience store at the intersection of St. Andrews Street and Southwood Drive. The suspects then threw rocks and shot fireworks at several people in a parking lot before leaving the area. Minor injuries were reported. Several delegates, including people who sell fireworks, spoke to council, urging them not to implement a sales ban in the city. They noted people can still buy fireworks outside of the city and bring them home or order them online. 'The problem isn't fireworks,' Aleem Kanji, chief advocacy officer with the Canadian National Fireworks Association, said. 'It's illegal use and limited enforcement capacity as we heard from staff. A sales ban does not solve that.' However, some delegates did not get to have their say as council deferred the decision until the city has updated its noise bylaw. That change is expected to happen later this summer. In the meantime, city staff have been asked to draft a proposed bylaw for council to consider.
CTV News
38 minutes ago
- CTV News
Regina police investigate death as homicide
Regina Watch WATCH: The Regina Police Service are now treating a death investigation as a homicide, after a man's body was found near Grand Coulee last week.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Regina woman calls for search of landfill
Regina Watch WATCH: A Regina woman is calling on police to search the landfill in hopes of finding her daughter. Sierra D'Souza Butts has more.
