A Canadian judge declared a mistrial Friday in the ongoing case against former Flyers goalie Carter Hart, who was accused alongside four other members of Canada's world junior hockey team of sexually assaulting a woman in an Ontario hotel room in 2018.
Due to a publication ban imposed by the court, a reason was not given for the decision, but selection for a 14-person jury for a new trial will take place, the Athletic reported. The trial against Hart, Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote, who have all pleaded not guilty, began Tuesday.
The case stems from an incident in June 2018 after a gala celebrating Canada's gold medal in the world junior tournament. The woman, who was 20 at the time, alleged that McLeod took her back to a hotel room and invited seven other people to perform sexual acts with her and prevented her from leaving. She also claimed that the men had her take a shower afterward and record a video saying she was sober and that "it was all consensual."
In her opening statement Wednesday, Crown attorney Heather Donkers said the prosecution's case hinged on the issue of consent, and that the players "had sexual contact with the complainant without her voluntary agreement," according to the Athletic.
In June 2022, the woman filed a lawsuit against Hockey Canada and the players. Though a settlement was reached, public outcry led London, Ontario, police and Hockey Canada to reopen an investigation into the incident and file charges against five team members.
Hart, McLeod, Foote and Dube were all free agents as of June, and none have an active contract with any team in the NHL. Formenton has not played in the NHL since 2022. McLeod faces an additional charge of being a party to the offense of sexual assault. In February 2024, all five elected to have a trial by jury and be tried together.
