Sexual assault trial of five Canadian hockey players begins [Video]

The trial of five former NHL players accused of sexually assaulting a woman after a party for the Canadian national junior hockey team began Tuesday, more than six years after the alleged attack occurred.

The case has sent shockwaves across Canadian hockey, raising questions about toxic culture in the nation’s beloved sport and bringing scrutiny on police handling of an investigation involving high-profile athletes.

Five members of the Canadian team at the 2018 World Junior Championship were charged last year with sexual assault over an alleged June 2018 incident at a hotel in London, Ontario.

Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote — who all played in the National Hockey League — pleaded not guilty Tuesday in a London court, multiple Canadian media reported.

McLeod also faces a second charge of being a party to the offense — aiding or encouraging others to commit a crime.

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