Hockey Canada Sexual Assault Trial: Michael McLeod Testifies Under Oath

Michael McLeod's videotaped statement reveals a complex and uncomfortable situation involving a woman who demanded sex from his teammates in their hotel room. McLeod checked in with her throughout the night, recording her consent, but then multiple men entered the room, causing her to become upset and disoriented. The woman has testified that she was just saying what she thought the men wanted to hear, while McLeod claims she seemed fine with the situation. The hockey player has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the woman and encouraging his teammates to engage in non-consensual activity.

Key Takeaways:

• Michael McLeod testified that he constantly checked in with the woman to ensure she was consenting, and even recorded her giving consent on video, after a "weird situation" developed in the hotel room.
• The woman, who is under a publication ban, testified that she was feeling numb and in "autopilot" mode as she engaged in sexual activity with multiple men, using it as a coping mechanism to deal with the overwhelming situation.
• The Crown alleges that McLeod had intercourse with the complainant a second time in the hotel room's bathroom; that Formenton separately had intercourse with the complainant in the bathroom; that McLeod, Hart, and Dubé obtained oral sex from the woman; that Dubé slapped her naked buttocks, and that Foote did the splits over her head and his genitals "grazed" her face.
• Detective Steve Newton interviewed the complainant several times, as well as most of the players now on trial, and found no grounds to believe a crime had been committed in 2018, though he reopened the investigation in 2024.
• The complainant has filed a $3.5-million lawsuit against Hockey Canada, which was settled for an undisclosed sum, fueling public pressure for charges to be laid against the players.
• McLeod said he didn't think the woman's behavior was "pleasant" but he did not try to stop her from asking for sex with multiple men, stating she seemed fine with the situation.
• Alex Formenton, McLeod's hotel roommate that night, volunteered to have sex with the woman in the bathroom without the other men's knowledge, citing everyone had girlfriends as the reason for their reluctance.
• Formenton echoed McLeod's comments that the woman became upset and frustrated when few men wanted to engage with her, and that she might be experiencing embarrassment due to her situation.

Statistics:

• 9 players in total entered the hotel room where the complainant was.
• The woman claimed to have engaged in multiple rounds of sex with different players.
• The investigation into the complaint was initially closed in February 2019 by detective Steve Newton.
• The complainant filed a $3.5-million lawsuit against Hockey Canada in an undisclosed timeframe.
• 2024: London police reopened the investigation amid public pressure, and charges were laid against the players.
• The woman testified that she felt numb and in "autopilot" mode during the incident.

Sources:

• www.thestar.com
• Ontario Superior Court exhibit
• London police Det. Steve Newton's handwritten notes
• A screenshot of a group chat involving members of Canada's 2018 world junior championship team