The trial of five former Canadian junior hockey players has taken a serious turn, as one defense lawyer questioned the intentions of the woman accusing them of sexual assault. The incident allegedly happened in 2018 after a Hockey Canada gala. The woman, known as E.M., claims she was assaulted in a hotel room. The five accused – Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Cal Foote – all say they are not guilty.
What the Defense is Saying
Carter Hart’s lawyer, Megan Savard, continued questioning E.M. in court. She followed the earlier line of questioning started by McLeod’s lawyer, David Humphrey. Savard brought up E.M.’s boyfriend from 2018 – who is now her fiancé – and suggested that E.M. may have made up the story to protect her relationship.
Savard claimed that E.M. might have felt what happened that night would make her boyfriend break up with her. E.M. replied that she never saw herself as willingly involved in what happened. She said she felt like she was “out of her body” and on “autopilot” during the incident.
E.M.’s Explanation of That Night
E.M. admitted she considered leaving a bar with McLeod and possibly having consensual sex with him at first. But what happened later, when more men entered the hotel room, was not consensual, she said. She also mentioned that her fiancé has chosen to stay away from the case and does not know the full details.
Inconsistencies in Statements
Another part of the trial focused on a written statement E.M. gave to Hockey Canada in 2022. E.M. admitted that there were some mistakes in it, but she said her lawyers had prepared the document and she didn’t refer to older transcripts while reviewing it. She believed that the statement was just for Hockey Canada and had nothing to do with criminal charges.
Savard argued that E.M. was not telling the truth about why the mistakes were there. She also suggested that E.M. knew the police were reopening the case on the same day she signed the statement. E.M., however, said she was unaware of this.
Emotional Moment in Court
Savard also brought up a meeting E.M. had in March 2025, where she said she “took on the persona of a porn star” during the incident. E.M. explained she said this because it felt like the men were trying to act out a porn scene. She added that she was not in control and her body was reacting automatically.
Later, the questioning returned to her 2022 statement. E.M. had wrongly named two players – Sam Steel and Jonah Gadjovich – who are not part of the current case. Savard said E.M. didn’t take enough care while making these accusations. E.M. replied that it wasn’t done on purpose and that the statement was mostly written by her lawyers.
Eventually, E.M. started crying in court. The judge, Justice Maria Carroccia, decided to stop the session for the day.
This case continues to raise many serious and emotional questions. The defense lawyers are trying to show that E.M.’s version of events is not reliable. But E.M. stands by her story and says she did not agree to what happened in that hotel room. As the trial continues, more details are expected to come out, and the court will decide what really happened that night in 2018.
