NHL players accused of group assault: Defense says woman made it up to avoid ‘cheating’ on boyfriend

The high-profile Hockey Canada sexual assault trial continued this week in London, Ontario, where five former members of the 2018 World Junior Championship team—Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Cal Foote—stand accused of sexually assaulting a woman following a Hockey Canada gala in June 2018. All five have pleaded not guilty, with McLeod facing an additional charge as a party to the offense.During Wednesday’s proceedings, defense lawyer Megan Savard, representing Carter Hart, cross-examined the complainant, E.M., probing the potential role of her romantic relationship in how she portrayed the events.Building on the previous day’s line of questioning by McLeod’s lawyer, Savard pointedly suggested that E.M. fabricated the assault claim to preserve her relationship.“I am suggesting that part of why you’re so resistant this week to some of (Humphrey’s) suggestions that you actively participated (in the sexual activity) is because you know that story actually could have been a relationship-ender,” Savard argued. At the time of the alleged incident, E.M. had been dating her now-fiancé for three months. She denied Savard's suggestion, reiterating that she did not consider herself a willing participant in the encounter.E.M. explained that she felt “out of my body” during the alleged acts, suggesting a dissociative state. She described feeling coerced into playing a role. “Yes, I felt that was the thing they (the men in the hotel room) wanted. They were trying to recreate a porn scene,” she said, referencing her own March 2025 statement where she mentioned adopting a “porn star persona.”She also testified that her fiancé has remained distant from the trial and that the two agreed not to delve into details unless he asked.A major focus of Savard’s cross-examination was a 2022 statement E.M. gave to Hockey Canada. The defense highlighted inconsistencies compared to her 2018 police statement, including misidentifying two players who were not charged. E.M. acknowledged the errors but attributed them to her legal team, saying, “I wasn’t intentionally trying to do that.”Also Read: Does Paulina Gretzky go too far on social media? The online controversies surrounding Wayne Gretzky’s daughterAs the emotional toll mounted, E.M. broke down in tears, prompting Justice Maria Carroccia to adjourn the session.