Mistrial Declared in High-Profile Hockey Assault Case After Only Three Days of Trial

The trial of five professional hockey players accused of sexual assault was declared a mistrial after only three days, with a new jury already selected to hear the case. The players, Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, and Cal Foote, had pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a then-20-year-old woman in a London hotel room in June 2018. The court immediately proceeded to jury selection for a second trial, with all five men standing between their legal teams as they formally entered their pleas of not guilty.

Key Takeaways:

• The trial was declared a mistrial after only three days, with a new jury already selected to hear the case.
• The players, all former members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team, were accused of sexually assaulting a then-20-year-old woman in a London hotel room in June 2018.
• The trial had barely begun before the mistrial was declared, with the jury only hearing the Crown's opening statement and brief testimony from a police detective.
• The Crown is expected to open its case to the new jury next Monday.
• The trial is expected to be lengthy, and jurors have been ordered to be paid $150 a day for their service.
• The players were in London for the Hockey Canada Foundation's annual Gala & Golf fundraising event when the alleged assault occurred.

Statistics:

• The trial was declared a mistrial after only three days of testimony.
• The new jury is composed of 11 women and three men.
• The Crown is expected to open its case to the new jury next Monday.
• Jurors will be paid $150 a day for their service.
• The players were all between the ages of 25 and 27 at the time of their arrest in January 2024.

Sources:

• www.thestar.com
• "Mistrial declared in sexual assault case of 5 NHL players" by Jacques Gallant