An Ontario judge acquitted five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team on Thursday in their sexual assault case , saying the complainant's allegations lacked the credibility needed to justify the charges.

Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia said prosecutors could not meet the onus of proof for the charges against Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote.

The players' identities were made public when they were charged in early 2024 . At the time, four of them played in the NHL — Dube for the Calgary Flames, Hart for the Philadelphia Flyers, and McLeod and Foote for the New Jersey Devils. Formenton had previously played for the Ottawa Senators before joining a Swiss team. All went on indefinite leave and none is on an NHL roster

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