Latest news with #WorldJunior
Economic Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Economic Times
Five former junior hockey players acquitted in high-profile sexual assault case
Judge cites 'reasonable doubt' in Hockey sexual assault verdict All five former members of the 2018 World Junior hockey team were acquitted Thursday(July 24) of sexual assault charges stemming from an alleged group encounter in a hotel room nearly seven years ago. Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia ruled that Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote were not guilty, stating that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the sexual activity was non-consensual. 'There was reasonable doubt the sexual activity occurred without her consent,' Carroccia said in her ruling, pointing to inconsistencies in the complainant's testimony and video evidence that appeared to contradict her complainant, known in court as EM, alleged she was too intoxicated to consent on the night of June 19, 2018, after meeting McLeod at a bar in London, Ontario. However, the judge said surveillance and cellphone footage, including videos in which EM stated she was 'OK with this,' did not support her claim of incapacity. The case became a flashpoint in Canada's national conversation. It also triggered a crisis within Hockey Canada, which admitted in 2022 that it had used player registration fees to settle a related lawsuit, without revealing the identities of the players involved or admitting fault Karen Bellehumeur, lawyer for E.M., said her client was 'very disappointed' with the outcome.'She's truly a hero,' Bellehumeur said. 'She opened herself up to intense scrutiny and unjustified criticism. There was nothing more she could have done. That said, the justice system must do better.'Central to the defence were two cellphone videos recorded that night in which EM appears calm and lucid, stating that she was 'OK with this.' The prosecution argued the videos were not reliable indicators of consent, particularly given EM's claim that she was in a trauma-induced dissociative judge disagreed as she said, 'She speaks clearly and coherently, displays no signs of intoxication or impairment,' Carroccia also noted surveillance footage showing EM walking, using her phone, and engaging with people at the bar contradicted her testimony of being heavily Meaghan Cunningham told reporters that while the Crown accepts the ruling, her team will 'carefully review' the decision during the appeal window.'Success is not measured solely by guilty verdicts,' Cunningham said. 'We are proud of the fairness and integrity of these proceedings.'Daniel Brown, lawyer for Formenton, said the verdict confirms his client's innocence.'He was condemned and banished from society before any evidence was tested. Today, justice prevailed.'
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Five former junior hockey players acquitted in high-profile sexual assault case
Live Events The two cellphones Not done yet? (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel All five former members of the 2018 World Junior hockey team were acquitted Thursday(July 24) of sexual assault charges stemming from an alleged group encounter in a hotel room nearly seven years Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia ruled that Michael McLeod Dillon Dube , and Callan Foote were not guilty, stating that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the sexual activity was non-consensual.'There was reasonable doubt the sexual activity occurred without her consent,' Carroccia said in her ruling, pointing to inconsistencies in the complainant's testimony and video evidence that appeared to contradict her complainant, known in court as EM, alleged she was too intoxicated to consent on the night of June 19, 2018, after meeting McLeod at a bar in London, Ontario. However, the judge said surveillance and cellphone footage, including videos in which EM stated she was 'OK with this,' did not support her claim of case became a flashpoint in Canada's national conversation. It also triggered a crisis within Hockey Canada , which admitted in 2022 that it had used player registration fees to settle a related lawsuit, without revealing the identities of the players involved or admitting faultKaren Bellehumeur, lawyer for E.M., said her client was 'very disappointed' with the outcome.'She's truly a hero,' Bellehumeur said. 'She opened herself up to intense scrutiny and unjustified criticism. There was nothing more she could have done. That said, the justice system must do better.'Central to the defence were two cellphone videos recorded that night in which EM appears calm and lucid, stating that she was 'OK with this.' The prosecution argued the videos were not reliable indicators of consent, particularly given EM's claim that she was in a trauma-induced dissociative judge disagreed as she said, 'She speaks clearly and coherently, displays no signs of intoxication or impairment,' Carroccia also noted surveillance footage showing EM walking, using her phone, and engaging with people at the bar contradicted her testimony of being heavily Meaghan Cunningham told reporters that while the Crown accepts the ruling, her team will 'carefully review' the decision during the appeal window.'Success is not measured solely by guilty verdicts,' Cunningham said. 'We are proud of the fairness and integrity of these proceedings.'Daniel Brown, lawyer for Formenton, said the verdict confirms his client's innocence.'He was condemned and banished from society before any evidence was tested. Today, justice prevailed.'
Economic Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Economic Times
Hockey Canada Sexual Assault Case: A recap of events ahead of July 24 verdict
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Hockey Canada sexual assault case , involving allegations against five members of the 2018 World Junior team , has gripped the nation and shaken the sport's reputation. The incident allegedly occurred during a post-tournament celebration, prompting a years-long investigation and intense public members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team - Michael McLeod Dillon Dube and Callan Foote - faced a trial after an incident that occurred in London, Ontario, in 2018. As the July 24 verdict approaches, the case remains a flashpoint for discussions on accountability, consent, and institutional transparency in Canadian sports. The upcoming verdict will mark a pivotal moment in a case that changed Canadian hockey's image 2022, a woman filed a lawsuit against Hockey Canada, alleging she was sexually assaulted by eight members of the 2018 World Junior team following a fundraising gala in London, Ontario. The incident reportedly occurred at the Delta Hotel in the early hours of June 19, 2018. Although police initially closed the case in 2019 without charges, the lawsuit - which sought $3.55 million and was settled - led to renewed public outcry and the reopening of the also revealed Hockey Canada had two secret funds for settling sexual assault and abuse claims. Charges were laid in early 2024 against five players. In her May testimony, the woman recounted drinking and dancing with several players at Jack's Bar on Richmond Street on that night. She agreed to return to the Delta Armouries Hotel for consensual sex with one of the accused, Michael McLeod. However, she testified that she was naked, intoxicated, and frightened when four other men unexpectedly entered the room. In that moment, she said, going along with what they wanted felt like the only 'safe' option. Prosecutors argued the players failed to seek voluntary consent, while defense lawyers countered she engaged willingly, seeking a 'wild night'.Five players - Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote, Dillon Dube, and Alex Formenton - have been charged with sexual assault in connection with the 2018 Hockey Canada case. McLeod also faces an additional charge of being a party to the offense. All five players have pleaded not guilty to the charges as the verdict after the trial had officially concluded earlier this of the players currently holds an active NHL contract. Hart previously served as the starting goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers, while McLeod and Dube were regular contributors for the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames, respectively. Foote, the son of former NHL defenseman Adam Foote, spent much of last season in the AHL. Formenton, who played 109 NHL games with the Ottawa Senators between 2017 and 2022, had most recently been playing in Switzerland with HC Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia will deliver the verdict in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case, after dismissing the jury in May. The decision came following a complaint that some defense attorneys were seen laughing at members of the jury. As a result, the trial proceeded as a judge-alone case, with Justice Carroccia solely responsible for the final any of the accused are found guilty, a wide range of sentencing possibilities exists under Canadian law, with penalties for sexual assault ranging from no mandatory minimum to up to 10 years in prison, depending on the severity of the remains uncertain whether the players could return to the NHL if acquitted. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has stated that the league will wait for the legal process to conclude before making any decisions regarding their future in professional of the verdict, it's clear that all five players have already paid a significant price in terms of their professional hockey careers. Their names and reputations have been deeply impacted, and none currently hold active NHL contracts. To rise from this situation - like a phoenix from the ashes - will demand not only a Herculean mental effort, but also immense physical resilience. Whether or not they return to the ice, the road ahead is steep and uncertain, shaped as much by public perception as by the outcome in court.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Hockey Canada Sexual Assault Case: A recap of events ahead of July 24 verdict
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Hockey Canada sexual assault case , involving allegations against five members of the 2018 World Junior team , has gripped the nation and shaken the sport's reputation. The incident allegedly occurred during a post-tournament celebration, prompting a years-long investigation and intense public members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team - Michael McLeod Dillon Dube and Callan Foote - faced a trial after an incident that occurred in London, Ontario, in 2018. As the July 24 verdict approaches, the case remains a flashpoint for discussions on accountability, consent, and institutional transparency in Canadian sports. The upcoming verdict will mark a pivotal moment in a case that changed Canadian hockey's image 2022, a woman filed a lawsuit against Hockey Canada, alleging she was sexually assaulted by eight members of the 2018 World Junior team following a fundraising gala in London, Ontario. The incident reportedly occurred at the Delta Hotel in the early hours of June 19, 2018. Although police initially closed the case in 2019 without charges, the lawsuit - which sought $3.55 million and was settled - led to renewed public outcry and the reopening of the also revealed Hockey Canada had two secret funds for settling sexual assault and abuse claims. Charges were laid in early 2024 against five players. In her May testimony, the woman recounted drinking and dancing with several players at Jack's Bar on Richmond Street on that night. She agreed to return to the Delta Armouries Hotel for consensual sex with one of the accused, Michael McLeod. However, she testified that she was naked, intoxicated, and frightened when four other men unexpectedly entered the room. In that moment, she said, going along with what they wanted felt like the only 'safe' option. Prosecutors argued the players failed to seek voluntary consent, while defense lawyers countered she engaged willingly, seeking a 'wild night'.Five players - Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote, Dillon Dube, and Alex Formenton - have been charged with sexual assault in connection with the 2018 Hockey Canada case. McLeod also faces an additional charge of being a party to the offense. All five players have pleaded not guilty to the charges as the verdict after the trial had officially concluded earlier this of the players currently holds an active NHL contract. Hart previously served as the starting goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers, while McLeod and Dube were regular contributors for the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames, respectively. Foote, the son of former NHL defenseman Adam Foote, spent much of last season in the AHL. Formenton, who played 109 NHL games with the Ottawa Senators between 2017 and 2022, had most recently been playing in Switzerland with HC Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia will deliver the verdict in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case, after dismissing the jury in May. The decision came following a complaint that some defense attorneys were seen laughing at members of the jury. As a result, the trial proceeded as a judge-alone case, with Justice Carroccia solely responsible for the final any of the accused are found guilty, a wide range of sentencing possibilities exists under Canadian law, with penalties for sexual assault ranging from no mandatory minimum to up to 10 years in prison, depending on the severity of the remains uncertain whether the players could return to the NHL if acquitted. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has stated that the league will wait for the legal process to conclude before making any decisions regarding their future in professional of the verdict, it's clear that all five players have already paid a significant price in terms of their professional hockey careers. Their names and reputations have been deeply impacted, and none currently hold active NHL contracts. To rise from this situation - like a phoenix from the ashes - will demand not only a Herculean mental effort, but also immense physical resilience. Whether or not they return to the ice, the road ahead is steep and uncertain, shaped as much by public perception as by the outcome in court.
The Province
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Province
Hockey Canada's reckoning was heralded three years ago. Instead, its crisis mushroomed
Hockey culture took a bruising when the organization hastily settled a lawsuit that alleged a group sexual assault. Now comes a ruling in a criminal trial Clockwise from top left: Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, and Dillon Dube all pleaded not guilty to criminal charges for sexual assault. Following a trial in London, Ont, a judge will deliver her verdict on July 24. On the website of Hockey Canada there is a page that lists the organization's 'Premier Marketing Partners.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Tim Hortons has been one of those key sponsors since 2019, it says. Telus has backed the national sport organization since 2004. And Imperial Oil started its sponsorship way back in 1981. Nowhere does it mention that 'since' doesn't include the period of about a year, from late 2022 to late 2023, during which all three premier marketing partners pulled their sponsorship dollars from Hockey Canada. That was the height of Canada's hockey-culture crisis. It began when TSN reported in the spring of 2022 that Hockey Canada had moved with remarkable haste to settle a multi-million-dollar lawsuit that alleged a group sexual assault involving members of the 2018 World Junior team after a gala in London, Ont., that summer. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The unnamed alleged victim was 20 years old at the time. It will reach an endpoint of sorts, when the judge in a criminal trial involving five defendants makes her ruling. Read More And in between, it mushroomed as further revelations were made: That Hockey Canada let its own investigation into the matter in 2018 cease once the alleged victim declined to participate, and it was informed by the London police that it had closed its investigation, without even learning the identities of the alleged assailants. That separate sexual-assault allegations had been made about members of the 2003 World Junior team. That Hockey Canada kept reserve funds on its books for, among other things, settling such lawsuits quickly and quietly. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The blowback peaked when a series of Hockey Canada executives appeared before a parliamentary committee and insisted that, while mistakes had been made, there was no need for a leadership change at the organization. In response, the sponsors pulled their funds. Resignations at Hockey Canada followed. At the time, there was much talk about a wider reckoning for hockey in this country. Hockey Canada itself decried the 'toxic culture' of the sport. There were questions about the attitudes in locker rooms, about issues relating to sexual violence and consent, and about the wider junior-hockey system, in which elite athletes often leave home as teenagers to become big stars on small-town teams, granting them a celebrity status that belies their maturity. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Almost three years later, much has changed from a legal perspective. The alleged victim in the 2018 incident, now known only as 'E.M.' — her identity is protected by a publication ban — agreed to speak to London police. That brought criminal charges against five former members of Canada's 2018 World Junior team — Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Fomenton, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote — and an eight-week trial in London that ended last month. All the defendants have pleaded not guilty. Justice Maria Carroccia is scheduled to give her decision on the case on July 24. But other than the criminal proceedings, it's fair to wonder if much of a reckoning has occurred at all. Calls for a judicial inquiry into Hockey Canada, or into Canadian amateur sport in general, were resisted at the federal level. The junior hockey system is unchanged, with the country's three major-junior leagues still the primary training ground for future Canadian NHL players. And Hockey Canada, once besieged over its handling of the 2018 allegations, has its marketing partners back in the fold. For TSN's coverage of the 2025 World Juniors, 'feature sponsors' included Gatorade and Fidelity Investments. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The organization has undergone a transformation since the height of the crisis. 'As the national governing body for amateur hockey in Canada, Hockey Canada recognizes our role, responsibility and duty to be a leader in delivering a sport that is rooted in safety, inclusiveness and respect,' it said in a statement to Postmedia. 'Since 2022, we have implemented significant initiatives to help transform the culture and safety of hockey.' Many of those initiatives were part of an action plan announced in 2022. All national team athletes, coaches and staff, for example, must complete training on sexual violence and consent before they are eligible to represent Hockey Canada. And the organization, among other changes, now tracks all complaints of maltreatment related to hockey and publishes an annual report of the details. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Despite those efforts, it is difficult to quantify a cultural change. And anyone who followed coverage of the London trial will know there was some public support for the narratives put forth by defence lawyers: that the accused were just boys being boys. Has the case changed hockey culture? Or is it part of a wider issue: A societal acceptance that when it comes to athletes and sex, the standards are different than they are in other industries? Former Canadian world junior hockey player Carter Hart walks past protesters from the Sexual Assault Support Centre Waterloo Region as he enters the London courthouse on Monday, June 9, 2025. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press) *** One of the startling aspects of Hockey Canada's response to the E.M. case, both in 2018 and after the 2022 lawsuit, was the degree to which the organization didn't seem to want to examine it much at all. In the first instance, after contacting police when it was first made aware of the allegations and hiring its own investigator, it let a partially completed probe lapse and seems to have made little attempt to find out what had happened on the night in question. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'As soon as Hockey Canada became aware of this matter in 2018, we contacted local police authorities to inform them. The same day, we also retained Henein Hutchison LLP, a firm with extensive experience in this area, to undertake a thorough independent internal investigation,' said a statement by Hockey Canada in May 2022. 'The person bringing the allegations forward chose not to speak with either police or with Hockey Canada's independent investigator and also chose not to identify the players involved. This was her right and we fully respect her wishes,' the statement continued. The organization later clarified its statement, saying it learned the complainant did in fact make a complaint to the police in 2018. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Former executives told a Parliamentary committee in October 2022 that they weren't sure how many of the players on that 2018 World Junior team had even spoken to the investigator they had hired. After the 2022 lawsuit, Hockey Canada swiftly reached a settlement with E.M., without involving its own insurers or even informing the alleged assailants of the allegations against them. While it looked to the outside world like Hockey Canada had tried to make the story go away quietly, former executives said that they believed the young woman had 'suffered harm' in 2018 and that a quick resolution was in her best interests. But the pattern of a team learning about sexual allegations involving players and looking the other way is a familiar one to anyone who follows sports. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Kobe Bryant, the late basketball legend, was accused in 2003 of raping a teenage hotel employee in Colorado. Criminal charges were filed, but later dropped when the alleged victim, whose identity had been leaked, refused to participate in a trial. A civil suit against Bryant was settled, but the 18-time All-Star was never disciplined by the NBA or the Los Angeles Lakers. Former NBA commissioner David Stern said at the time that the league would withhold punishment pending the resolution of the criminal case, and Bryant, then 26 years old, travelled from Lakers games to Colorado to attend court during the 2003 NBA season. Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa attend a news conference at Staples Center, the home of the Lakers, July 18, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. The 24-year-old NBA star proclaimed his innocence of the sexual assault charges filed by the district attorney of Eagle, Colorado. Photo by Watson, the former All-Pro quarterback with the Houston Texans, was suspended for 11 games in 2022 and fined US$5 million (after the NFL and NFLPA reached an agreement) after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. The Texans decided to trade him, and after interest from multiple teams, sent him to the Cleveland Browns for a haul of draft picks. The Browns quickly gave him a contract for five years and US$230 million, the largest guaranteed contract in NFL history at the time. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Last month, the NFL suspended former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker for 10 games after 16 massage therapists accused him of improper behaviour during sessions that took place between 2012 and 2016. He denies wrongdoing, and when the Ravens released him in May, with an NFL investigation ongoing, general manager Eric DeCosta said it was a 'tough decision' and thanked him for his contributions to the team. He did not mention the allegations. And earlier this month, police in London, England, announced sexual assault charges against Thomas Partey, formerly a midfielder for Arsenal in the Premier League, involving three alleged victims. Partey was first arrested in 2022, but his name was not made public because U.K. laws prohibit the identification of someone who has not been criminally charged. Arsenal, however, knew of the allegations, through multiple arrests, and he played more than 100 matches for the club until his contract expired at the end of June. Partey denies the allegations. Arsenal has said it will not comment on the case because it is before the courts. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The tendency towards a hands-off approach can even be the case when the athlete is an alleged victim. In the spring of 2021, a former member of the Chicago Blackhawks sued the team over allegations that it had failed to properly respond when alerted to an alleged sexual assault perpetrated by a former assistant coach in 2010. A team-ordered investigation found that the Blackhawks let the coach resign after the season concluded, though he took part in Stanley Cup celebrations, otherwise the complaint was ignored. (The former coach was later convicted of sexual assault related to a high-school coaching job.) General manager Stan Bowman resigned, and Joel Quenneville, who was Chicago's head coach in 2010 but was coaching the Florida Panthers in 2021, also resigned after a meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The NHL declared Bowman and Quenneville eligible to be reinstated last year. Weeks later, Bowman was hired to be the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers. He said at the time that his 'response was inadequate in 2010,' and that he had spent time reflecting on his mistakes and learning from them. Quenneville was hired to coach the Anaheim Ducks last month. He said he 'owned (his) mistakes' and that he had educated himself on 'the realities of abuse.' The NHL reinstated Stan Bowman last year and weeks later he was hired as general manager by the Edmonton Oilers. Photo by*** The story that Hockey Canada didn't seem particularly interested in pursuing in 2018 instead unfolded in a London courtroom beginning in April. Or, at least, competing versions of it did. All parties agree that E.M. met Michael McLeod in a London bar on the night of June 18, 2018. There was dancing and drinking, and the two went back to the Delta Armouries hotel, where E.M. was prepared to have consensual sex with McLeod. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. From there, the versions differ. E.M. told court that McLeod invited members of his World Junior team — who were all there for a Hockey Canada golf tournament — to his room to have sex with her without her knowledge or consent. Prosecutors argued she was pressured into sexual acts with multiple players, and that she feared for her safety. Defence lawyers argued that she was the aggressor who had encouraged a group sexual encounter, and that she made up the story about an assault to save face after the fact. Carter Hart, formerly a goaltender with the Philadelphia Flyers, the only one of the five accused to testify, told court that he was excited about the possibility of a sexual encounter, and that E.M. was a willing participant. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Other members of the World Junior team who were in the room that night but not accused of criminal wrongdoing offered unclear recollections of what had taken place. One of them, Brett Howden, now a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, was cross-examined by the Crown — despite being a Crown witness — over alleged inconsistencies in his memory. A text message he had sent to another teammate saying he was 'so glad he left' the hotel room and that he saw one of the accused 'smack this girl's ass so hard' was ruled inadmissible after Howden said he did not remember sending it or witnessing the act in question. Brett Howden of the Vegas Golden Knights is shown during an NHL game on Dec. 19, 2024. (Getty Images) While the various former teammates tended to provide similar stories about what parts of the night they could remember, prosecutors said there was a failure of consent at the root of it all. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. E.M., who spent seven days on the witness stand under cross-examination by lawyers for the five defendants, said so herself: 'Any one of those men could have stood up and said, this isn't right. And no one did,' she said. 'No one thought like that. They didn't want to think about if I was actually OK or if I was actually consenting.' The verdicts that Justice Maria Carroccia renders on July 24 will, obviously, be significant for both the accused and E.M. But whatever she decides, many questions will linger. What changed between 2018 and 2022 that caused Hockey Canada to completely reverse course on the incident? Where it once was happy to let the matter drop entirely, why did it offer a settlement without even giving its former players a chance to respond to the allegations? Later, why did it take the formality of criminal charges to have anyone's playing career interrupted? This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Most significantly, has anything changed? The accused and their teammates who were in the room that night all insisted that no criminal wrongdoing took place. That is, that an intoxicated young woman performed sexual acts with several men as others watched and ate pizza, over a number of hours, and nothing untoward took place. An improbable story or just another night for the fellas? Three years ago, it seemed at least possible that sweeping out Hockey Canada's leadership would fundamentally change the sport's developmental system in this country. After all, the men who eventually became criminal defendants had been elite players at the very top of the developmental pyramid. But structurally, Canada's hockey system has proved durable. At last month's National Hockey League draft 16 of the top 19 players selected came from teams in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), which includes Canada's three major-junior leagues. Several of them will almost certainly be members of the 2026 World Junior team when it begins play in December. Meanwhile, a U.S. court in May dismissed a class-action lawsuit that had been filed last year and accused the NHL and CHL of conspiring to restrict the employment opportunities and earning power of junior-age hockey players. The judge ruled that U.S. courts were not the correct venue for such a case. (Canadian courts have already ruled against similar claims.) This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. And so, the pathway to the pros endures. Children and parents in small towns and big cities across Canada spend much of their winter at rinks, and a portion of their registration fees makes its way up to the national organization. A small percentage of those players will reach the elite level and play for the top teams in their region, and an even smaller percentage will eventually make it to the CHL. From there, the best of the best will be selected to the national junior team, the finishing school for Canada's future hockey professionals. But it still all begins back in the neighbourhood arenas, on cold winter mornings. Late last month, a little over two weeks after the trial ended, Hockey Canada announced that player registration across the country for last season was more than 603,000. It had increased for the fourth consecutive year. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. Vancouver Canucks News News Sports News
