Former Ottawa Senators winger Alex Formenton has been found not guilty of sexual assault. The 26-year-old was one of five players on Canada's 2018 World Junior Hockey team charged with sexually assaulting a woman in a London, Ontario hotel room in June of that year. The players had gathered in London for a Hockey Canada gala and golf event to celebrate the team's gold medal victory five months earlier. All of the other players involved in the case, Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, and Cal Foote were also acquitted on all charges. THN's Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss how the Senators got the top two players in the 2020 NHL Draft: Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson In front of a packed courtroom, Justice Maria Carroccia delivered her decision on Thursday and ruled that the testimony from the complainant, referred to throughout the case as E.M., was "not credible or reliable." The judge also said, "In this case, I have found actual consent, not vitiated by fear," and that the Crown did not prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. This was a trial that took eight weeks, but the investigation, the scandal over how it was handled, and the intense national media coverage has gone on for several years. The trial sparked further dialogue on the issue of consent, which was at the heart of this case, and a Canadian junior hockey culture that's often been described as entitled and toxic. The not-guilty verdict means the players are all free to go and move on with their lives. The Crown does have the option to appeal and has 30 days to decide whether or not to do that. In Formenton's case, according to court documents obtained by the CBC, he has "moved on from a hockey career" and now works full-time in construction. Formenton was Ottawa's second-round draft pick in 2017 and played 109 games for the club. When he became an RFA in 2022, that was right around the time that the news emerged about this case. He was an emerging NHL player at the time, completing his first full season as a Senator and scoring 18 goals and 32 points. He was also probably the fastest skater in club history. So when the Sens didn't re-sign him, it certainly wasn't a decision made for hockey reasons. They did qualify him, though, so he remains an RFA, and the Sens have his rights until he's 27. Formenton agreed to a $125,000 contract with Ambri-Piotta, a pro hockey team in Switzerland, where he played parts of two seasons until he returned home to stand trial. His NHL playing rights still belong to Ottawa. Last year, according to TSN, Formenton filed a $20.5 million lawsuit against Newport Sports Management and Wade Arnott, his former agent, alleging negligence, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty. By Steve Warne The Hockey News Ottawa [http://thn.com/ottawa] Image Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images This story originally appeared at The Hockey News-Ottawa [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/2018-world-junior-trial-ends-former-ottawa-senator-alex-formenton-found-not-guilty-of-sexual-assault] More Sens Headlines: Former Ottawa Senator Returns To NHL After Three-Year KHL Stint [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/former-ottawa-senator-returns-to-nhl-after-three-year-khl-stint] Sens Captain Brady Tkachuk Celebrates Hard at Brother Matthew's Wedding [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/ottawa-senators-captain-brady-tkachuk-celebrates-hard-at-matthew-s-wedding] Can The Senators Count On Dylan Cozens To Consistently Produce? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/can-the-ottawa-senators-count-on-dylan-cozens-to-consistently-produce] Senators Re-Sign 2021 First-Round Pick To One-Year Deal [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/ottawa-senators-re-sign-2021-first-round-pick-to-one-year-deal] An Early Glance At The Senators’ 2026 Free Agent Class [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/an-early-glance-at-the-ottawa-senators-2026-free-agent-class] Why Mason McTavish Isn’t Coming Home To The Senators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/why-mason-mctavish-isn-t-coming-home-to-the-ottawa-senators]
