Former NHL center Ryan Kesler is headed to trial to face two misdemeanor counts of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree, The Athletic reported Thursday.
The case was originally filed against Kesler on Oct. 23, when the 41-year-old pleaded not guilty over alleged events that transpired on Jan. 1, according to court records.
However, district judge Marc Barron found that the prosecution had successfully established probable cause against Kesler in the preliminary examination.
The accuser, now 17, shared the details of this case with the court during a two-hour span on the stand, The Athletic reported. She said she had fallen asleep on a couch beside Kesler at a New Year’s Eve party at his home.
The complainant said she woke up with Kesler’s foot allegedly rubbing against her crotch and her foot in an equal position over his shorts, The Athletic reported.
Kesler’s attorneys called out the accuser’s recollection of the night and his alleged actions as inconsistent, and said that should have stopped the case from going to trial.
“Ryan emphatically denies the allegations and is completely innocent of the charges,” Kesler’s attorney, Robert Morad, told The Athletic.
“The charges are baseless and he is prepared to fight them vigorously in court. As the legal process begins, we ask for respect for his privacy and for the integrity of the judicial system. We are confident, when all the facts and circumstances are presented, that he will be fully exonerated.”
Kesler played 15 seasons in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks and twice represented the United States in the Winter Olympics. He appeared in 1,001 NHL games and finished his career with 258 goals and 573 points. The Livonia, Michigan, native last played in an NHL game in 2019.
Kesler was in his third season as a head coach with the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club. The elite Detroit-area youth program told The Athletic that Kesler was ‘removed from his position while this matter is addressed by the judicial system,’ but that the allegation was not connected to the organization.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
