The government will not appeal the verdict in the case of the five pro hockey players who were acquitted of sexual assault charges in Canada, TSN reported.
The five men were charged in connection with an event that occurred in June 2018 when they were members of the Canada world junior hockey team. All five went on to play in the National Hockey League, with four on rosters at the time charges were filed in early 2024.
Prosecutors had 30 days following the verdict, announced July 24 by Justice Maria Carroccia, to file a motion with the Court of Appeal for Ontario.
A spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General of Ontario did not respond to TSN’s request for comment on Thursday.
In her ruling, Carroccia said she did not find the testimony of the woman at the center of the case “to be credible or reliable.”
Carter Hart, Cal Foote, Dillon Dube, Alex Formenton and Michael McLeod were charged in the case. McLeod also faced a second charge of being party to the offense. He was found not guilty of that as well.
Formenton is a former NHL forward currently playing in Switzerland, while the other four were active NHL players who were put on paid leaves of absences from their teams when the charges were announced. Their respective teams parted ways with them in June 2024 by failing to give them qualifying offers, thus making them free agents.
The players’ NHL futures remain undecided.
“The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing and the behavior at issue was unacceptable,” and NHL statement issued July 25 read. “We will be reviewing and considering the judge’s findings. While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the League.”
–Field Level Media
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