A judge has ruled that the criminal sexual conduct case against former NHL player Ryan Kesler is headed to trial, according to Sean Gentille of The Athletic.
District judge Marc Barron found Thursday that the prosecution had successfully established probable cause against Kesler during a preliminary examination.
Kesler, 41, was charged with two misdemeanour counts of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were filed against him on Oct. 23.
The offences are alleged to have occurred on Jan. 1 in Orchard Lake, Mich.
The Livonia, Mich., native played for the Vancouver Canucks from 2003 to 2014 before being traded to the Anaheim Ducks, where he played until his retirement in 2019.
He was also a member of the United States Olympic teams in 2010 and 2014, won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2011 as the NHL’s top defensive forward and was part of Vancouver’s run to the Stanley Cup Final that year.
-- with files from The Canadian Press
