All five former Canadian World Junior hockey players found not guilty in sexual assault trial

The GIST: The five former Canadian World Junior hockey players (all of whom went on to play in the NHL) on trial for sexual assault were found not guilty yesterday — and, for many, it feels like a gut punch.

The context: Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé, and Cal Foote were acquitted of all charges yesterday, six weeks after the eight-week trial concluded. The alleged 2018 incident took place in a London, Ontario, hotel room after a Hockey Canada gala.

• The years-long saga included a 2022 settlement from Hockey Canada for the complainant, E.M., the shocking disclosure of the organization’s slush funds to finance similar sexual assault settlements, and a complete upheaval of Hockey Canada leadership.

• Though E.M. immediately brought the allegations to police in 2018, the case wasn’t reopened until after the slush funds were discovered in 2022, and the charges weren’t laid until February of 2024, nearly six years after the alleged incident.

The trend: This trial was an opportunity for a watershed moment, a reckoning for toxic hockey culture, and a chance for sexual assault survivors to feel heard by a court system that so often lets them down. Instead, with the five “not guilty” verdicts, it was the same old story, one that unquestionably favors men with power.

• Time will tell if any of the players return to pro hockey, but there’s a disappointing precedent in men’s sports, from the recent hiring of Anaheim Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville to NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson’s continued employment.

Zooming out: Despite the verdict, this case has made an impact: It has encouraged conversations around consent, shone a light on hockey culture’s dark side, and put five pro athletes on trial, a reality practically unheard of previously. It is nowhere near enough, but it is a start. The fight continues.