Judge in trial of five 2018 Hockey Canada world junior players sets verdict date for July 24

Content warning: The story below includes allegations of sexual assault.

Justice Maria Carroccia has set July 24 as the day the verdict will be read in the sexual assault trial involving five members of Hockey Canada’s 2018 World Junior Championship team, according to multiple reports.

The reports will be delivered in person on that date.

The trial is currently in the eighth and final week, having started in London, Ontario back in April. Closing arguments were presented in court this week. The trial has seen two different juries dismissed as part of the proceedings.

Former NHLers Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton and Carter Hart are all facing one count of sexual assault, while Michael McLeod is facing two. Four of the five players were active NHLers as recently as last year, with Alex Formenton having last played in 2022. Dube and McLeod played in the KHL this season, while Foote played in Slovakia. Formenton and Hart have not played since being charged last year. All five players were left unsigned by their respective NHL clubs.

Hart was the only player who took the stand as part of the case.

In June of 2018, the accused were in London, Ont., to celebrate Canada’s 2018 World Junior gold medal win. After the Hockey Canada event, members of the team attended a bar in downtown London, where they met the alleged victim (only known as E.M. due to a publication ban). The alleged assault took place at a hotel room in London.

All five players pleaded not guilty at the commencement of the trial on April 22.

Among players called to the stand, but not accused of any wrongdoing, were Tyler Steenbergen, Boris Katchouk, Brett Howden, and Taylor Raddysh. None of the players appeared in person, with all being interviewed via video conferencing.