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Edmonton Journal
6 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
'Public narrative was one-sided': Hockey Canada sex assault defence lawyers respond to verdict
Five former Canadian world junior hockey players were found not guilty in a high-profile sexual assault trial related to a 2018 incident in London, Ont. The case had sparked a national reckoning over hockey culture, and what is and what isn't considered consent. Here's how the lawyers for Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote reacted to Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia's verdict, which was delivered in a London courtroom on Thursday. Article content Article content Article content Mr. McLeod will not be speaking to the media, and I understand the other players will not be speaking to the media. I will not be taking questions and other counsel who come to address you, they will not be taking any questions. Article content Mr. McLeod had confidence in the Justice process, and he welcomes Justice Carrocia's decision, confirming that he and his co defendants are not guilty of sexual assault. Justice Carrocia's carefully reasoned decision represents a resounding vindication for Mr. McLeod and for his co defendants. Justice Carrocia's found that the complainant's testimony was incredible and was unreliable. Article content For years, public perception was shaped by a one-sided narrative from a civil lawsuit that went unchallenged. In large part because hockey Canada settled the claim without first informing or consulting the players. The decision was made unilaterally, and the players were only told of the lawsuit and the settlement after the fact. Had they been consulted, they would have refused to settle, and they would have vigorously contested EM's allegations. Article content Article content That version of events dominated headlines and created a lasting and, a false, a false impression of guilt. It was only through this criminal trial that the allegations were fully and finally tested. The court compared the complainant's 2018 statements to the police, which rightly resulted in no charges with the later conflicting civil claim. Key elements of EM's story were contradicted by the evidence, exposing serious falsehood and leading to today's clear and just verdict of not guilty. Justice Carrocia rejected EM's claims of fear and her claims of non consent. That should be the takeaway from today's judgment. Article content Article content The damage to Mr. McLeod's reputation and his career has been significant. But today's decision begins to restore what was very unfairly taken away from him. Mr. McLeod is deeply grateful to his family, friends, his agent, and everybody who stood by him.
Winnipeg Free Press
7 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
More competitions, longer seasons and other demands put focus on workload in elite women's soccer
England's Millie Bright bowed out of the European Championship because of mental and physical exhaustion. The Netherland's Vivianne Miedema suggested too many games lead to more injuries. Ireland's Katie McCabe didn't play in a pair of games in the United States because she was said to be on the verge of burnout. New tournaments and expanded fields for existing competitions, longer seasons and more professional opportunities have some players and coaches asking: How much is too much? Workload has long been an issue in men's soccer, recently gaining more attention because of the expanded 32-team field at this year's Club World Cup. But it's a newer concern for some women as the game's profile rises on the global stage. More women's competitions, while providing more opportunities to play, also mean more travel and less time off. Alex Culvin, director of global policy for women's soccer at FIFPRO, the global players union, said there needs to be more care paid to international and regional calendars to ensure players have a balance while still growing the game. 'The growth is happening right before our eyes. However, those players also need to be protected because we can't always demand more of them all of the time without saying `We'll demand more now, and then you'll have a rest and that rest is protected. Nobody can encroach on that rest and if you do, there's consequences, regulatory consequences.' I think we haven't quite gotten there yet,' Culvin said. 'I think the mandated rest periods are something that FIFPRO really advocates for and something the players really want.' Those who play for high-profile national and club teams are most impacted. 'Mentally and physically I'm at my limits,' Bright said on a podcast explaining her decision to sit out of Euro 2025 after her season with Chelsea. In April, after injuring her hamstring while playing in a Nations League match with the Netherlands, Miedema, who plays for Manchester City, criticized the ever-more crowded calendar on social media. 'I will say this over and over again. To the people in charge of the football calendar, it is time to realise the current schedule will need to change for players' physical and mental safety,' Miedema wrote. McCabe, who plays for Arsenal, was left out of a pair of friendlies against the U.S. national team last month by Ireland coach Carla Ward. 'Katie has played an awful lot of minutes for club and country,' Ward said ahead of the trip. 'She's on the verge of burnout, as are some others.' FIFPRO has a dashboard that monitors high minutes for players around the globe. From June 1, 2024, to June 1, 2025, ahead of Euro 2025, Spain's Aitana Bonmatí (5,045) and teammate Mariona Caldentey (4,976) had the most minutes played of the 294 players monitored. Caldentey also plays for Arsenal in the Women's Super League in England, while Bonmatí, a two-time Ballon d'Or winner, plays professionally for Barcelona. Spain will play in Euro 2025 title match on Saturday against England. U.S. women's national team coach Emma Hayes was so concerned about rest that she left her European-based players off the team for the latest international window so that they could recuperate from their seasons. Players in Europe play from fall to spring, whereas in the National Women's Soccer League, the season goes from early spring through the summer and into fall. Hayes has to manage her players with both of those seasons in mind. 'All I can control is that in 2027 there is a World Cup, and this player has this number of games, this is their season window, these are the national call-ups they might well receive, this is their offseason,' Hayes said. 'My job is to be educating the player with what you've achieved, what you've done the last last two years, and how that accumulative effect doesn't have an impact today, but might in two years.' National teams in Europe, Africa and South America have big regional competitions this summer — in addition to Euro 2025, there's the Africa Cup of Nations and the Copa América Feminina. But there are new events popping up as women's soccer becomes more popular. A new 7-on-7 tournament was played in Portugal that included eight professional clubs, with an attractive $5 million purse. The field for World Sevens Football included Manchester City and Bayern Munich. England coach Sarina Wiegman said the national team was in contact with players about taking part, making sure that overload wouldn't be an issue. 'Everyone has a different schedule and comes from different places. So, if you talk about Lauren (Hemp) and Alex (Greenwood), it's different, and other players who have played throughout the whole season,' Wiegman said. 'Also some players see it as an opportunity to, in a different way, get some training, playing minutes in — being aware of don't overload, be smart, because there's bigger picture in this.' Those tournaments are in addition to regional club competitions like the UEFA Women's Champions League and the new CONCACAF W Champions Cup, which starts next month. And there are more international women's competitions on the way. A women's Club World Cup will launch in 2028, while the Women's Champions Cup is set to start next year. While some more developed teams, leagues and federations are increasing opportunities, that's not the case in many parts of the world, where some players don't get enough work, putting them at the risk of injury. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. At the Copa América Femenina, Bolivia, ranked No. 105 in the world and playing with a squad that included amateurs, had only three matches together this year ahead of the tournament. Bolivia doesn't use all of its FIFA windows. In the end, Culvin said striking a balance is difficult. The growth of the game is important but it can't come at the expense of the players. 'It's the players who make the ultimate sacrifice, the game revolves around them. Without the players there is no game. And I think that mindset needs to be front of mind. And we need to say, `How do we protect these people as much as we can?'' Culvin said. 'The stakeholders are custodians of the game, and we have a responsibility to protect our most prized assets and that's the players.' ___ AP soccer:
Ottawa Citizen
10 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
‘Full-circle moment': Sault's Domenic Nicoletta brings Italian heritage to Olympic stage
Article content When Domenic Nicoletta boards a plane for Milan in February 2026, he won't just be heading to his first Olympic Winter Games as an athletic therapist with Team Canada. He'll be returning to the country his parents once left behind — this time, as part of hockey's most prestigious delegation. Article content 'It's a little bit of a dream,' said Nicoletta, the longtime Ottawa Senators athletic therapist. 'I couldn't have asked for a better location, or an almost full-circle moment.' Article content Article content Though the Olympics will be hosted in northern Italy, Nicoletta's roots are further south in Calabria, where both his parents were born before immigrating to Canada. His father, John, found work at Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, where he later met his wife, Marie, who worked as a school administrator. Article content Article content Between his commitments with the Senators, Nicoletta still tries to make it back to the Sault at least once a year, and there's always one stop he never misses to 'compare notes.' Article content 'I try to make it back at least once a year to check on my dad's garden,' he said, laughing. 'To me, it's a peace of mind,' said John. 'I go there and relax.' Article content That sense of connection — to land, to tradition, to family — will travel with Nicoletta to Italy in the winter. The Olympics represent more than a career milestone, he said. They're a rare opportunity to share his heritage with his wife, Jennifer, and their children, Luca, 15, and Ella, 12. Article content Article content 'It's a great moment for me,' he said. 'My daughter's maybe the most excited, she's wanted me to take her to Italy here for a few years, so it worked out perfectly.' Article content Nicoletta has worked several world championships for Hockey Canada since 2019, and he's made the most of the chance to bring family along. In 2022, his children joined him in Finland, and two years later, his mother accompanied him at the 2024 World Championship in Prague. Article content 'One of the reasons I can never say no to (Hockey Canada) is because of how the family is treated,' he said. 'I can't wait to see their reactions again, and their interactions with the international fans, the cheering.' Article content Long before Nicoletta was standing on the Team Canada bench, his path began with human kinetics at the University of Ottawa. He grew up playing soccer, but it wasn't until a guest lecture from the Ottawa Rough Riders' athletic therapist that he became interested in sport medicine.
