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Group Chat Evidence and Witness Testimony Highlight Coordination in Hockey Canada Trial

As Tyler Steenbergen continues testifying, the court examines group chat messages suggesting coordinated responses among defendants following the 2018 incident.

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Former members of Canada's 2018 World Juniors hockey team, left to right, Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube and Carter Hart as they individually arrived to court in London, Ont., Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
Clockwise from top left: Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton enter the London courthouse on on April 22, 2025. (Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press)

Overview

  • Five former members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team face trial for alleged sexual assault, with all pleading not guilty; Michael McLeod also faces an additional charge of being a party to the offence.
  • Group chat evidence presented in court shows McLeod urging teammates to align their statements during Hockey Canada's investigation, emphasizing consistency and honesty about their presence in the room.
  • Tyler Steenbergen, a non-charged former teammate, testified about events in the hotel room, recounting explicit details and players’ reactions, while also providing group chat messages to police.
  • The complainant, E.M., testified over nine days, describing feelings of fear and coercion during the alleged assault, while the defense has challenged her credibility and suggested she initiated the events.
  • The case continues to shed light on issues of consent, accountability, and cultural scrutiny within Canadian hockey, following Hockey Canada's controversial 2022 settlement of the civil suit filed by E.M.