Defence in Hockey Players’ Sex Assault Trial Continues Cross-Examining Complainant

A composite image of five photographs show former members of Canada's 2018 World Juniors hockey team (L-R), Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube and Carter Hart as they individually arrived to court in London, Ont., on April 30, 2025. The Canadian Press/Nicole Osborne

A defence lawyer for one of five ex-world junior hockey teammates on trial for sexual assault is suggesting a woman made allegations against them because she thought her boyfriend would leave her if she told him she'd had “group sex with a bunch of hockey players.”

Megan Savard, one of the lawyers representing Carter Hart, suggested during cross-examination that the complainant’s boyfriend sympathized with her and didn’t consider it cheating because she told him it was not consensual.