Prosecutors did not prove that five Canadian professional hockey players committed sexual assault, a judge found Thursday, ruling that evidence provided by the female complainant was neither “credible or reliable.”

The accused — who all previously played in the National Hockey League — stood trial over allegations they assaulted the woman in a hotel room following a June 2018 celebration for a national men’s junior team.

Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart and Callan Foote denied wrongdoing, insisting the accuser — whose identity is protected — consented to a variety of sex acts in a London, Ontario hotel room.

“Having found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of (the complainant) and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the crown

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