Game Misconducts.

About this site

This page is a noncommercial commentary and activism project from Game Misconducts. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Carter Hart, his representatives, the Vegas Golden Knights, or the NHL. This site reports court records and public documents, and publishes clearly labeled opinion and satire. Carter Hart is one of five players acquitted of all charges on July 24, 2025, and is a current Vegas Golden Knights goaltender.

Compiled from the public record · Not affiliated with any outlet named below

The Coverage

Where it started
01

The story that broke it open

Rick Westhead reveals the quiet settlement of a $3.55M civil claim involving 2018 World Junior players.

TSN · May 2022
02

The National Equity Fund

How registration fees were used to build a fund that paid sexual-assault settlements since 1989.

The Globe and Mail · July 2022
03

The full ruling, R. v. McLeod

Justice Carroccia's complete 91-page reasons acquitting all five accused. The primary document.

Ontario Superior Court · 2025 ONSC 4319
The verdict · July 24, 2025

All five former players found not guilty

After a mistrial and two dismissed juries, a judge-alone trial ended in acquittals on all counts. The Crown did not appeal.

The decision turned on the Crown's burden and the judge's credibility and consent analysis. Coverage spanned the courthouse steps, the legal bar, and the wider debate about the sport's culture. The links across this page gather the reporting, the primary documents, and the range of opinion that followed, from outlets across Canada, the US, and beyond.

On Screen

Video coverage & interviews
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The Investigations

Long reads & documentaries

The Wider Record

Other players · other headlines

Separate matters involving other current and former players, listed with their stated legal outcomes. Each is independent of the case above; all individuals are entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Patrick KaneNo charges · 2015

A 2015 sexual-assault investigation in Buffalo closed without charges.

Jake VirtanenAcquitted · 2022

The former Canucks forward was found not guilty of sexual assault.

Evander KaneCharges dismissed · 2016

Misdemeanour charges from a Buffalo bar incident were dismissed.

Semyon VarlamovCase dropped · 2013

Domestic-violence charges were dropped by Colorado prosecutors.

Mike RibeiroAcquitted; later guilty plea · 2024

Acquitted of two assault counts (hung jury on a third); later pleaded guilty to indecent assault.

Logan MaillouxFined in Sweden · 2021

Fined in Sweden for sharing a photo without consent; renounced his draft selection, was picked anyway.

Gavin McKennaCharge dropped · 2025

A felony aggravated-assault charge against the top 2026 prospect was dropped by the district attorney.

The longer listOverview

A wider roundup of NHL players who have faced serious criminal charges.

TSN breaks the settlement story · May 2022Parliament summons Hockey Canada · June 2022Sponsors pause funding · Oct 2022CEO and board step down · Oct 2022Five players charged · Jan 2024Mistrial, then two juries dismissed · April–May 2025All five found not guilty · July 24, 2025Crown declines to appeal · Aug 2025NHL sets reinstatement terms · Sept 2025TSN breaks the settlement story · May 2022Parliament summons Hockey Canada · June 2022Sponsors pause funding · Oct 2022CEO and board step down · Oct 2022Five players charged · Jan 2024Mistrial, then two juries dismissed · April–May 2025All five found not guilty · July 24, 2025Crown declines to appeal · Aug 2025NHL sets reinstatement terms · Sept 2025
The Coverage is a reading room of third-party journalism, compiled from the public record. Game Misconducts is independent commentary and activism and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any outlet, person, team, or league named here. All five accused were found not guilty of all charges (R. v. McLeod et al., Ont. S.C.J., July 24, 2025); the Crown did not appeal. Links open the original publishers. Some articles are paywalled. The complainant is protected by a publication ban and is known only as E.M.