Clockwise from top left, Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, and Dillon Dube were all found not guilty of criminal charges for sexual assault. The five players remain ineligible to return to the NHL despite the finding. Photo by Handout

By Howard Levitt and Jeffrey Buchan

The trial of five Canadian hockey players charged with sexual assault in early 2024 has dominated the national news and garnered headlines around the world.

Nearly seven years after the events took place, the long-awaited verdict arrived on July 24, when an Ontario Superior Court judge found all five players not guilty and declared them free to go.

Almost immediately after the verdict was announced, there was significant rebuke and backlash from commentators on both sides of the case — those who

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