Hockey Canada trial: Reporter reveals Carter Hart's mother got teary-eyed & Michael McLeod's parents embraced after judge's verdict

In a highly anticipated verdict, five former players of Canada's 2018 junior hockey team were found not guilty of sexual assault charges. The case came to a conclusion on Thursday, with palpable emotion in the courtroom, as revealed by the reporter Rick Westhead.

Speaking on TSN’s FanDuel Overdrive, Westhead, who attended the trial, shared what happened right after the judge delivered her verdict.

The moment the judge said she didn’t find the complainant’s testimony credible or reliable—and ruled that there was consent—the players’ families visibly reacted with relief.

"You could hear audible gasps from the section of the public gallery where the players' families were," Westhead reported. (1:45 onwards)

“Michael McLeod's parents, sitting next to each other, they'd been, you know, at this trial all the way through. They embraced. And Carter Hart's mother got teary-eyed and kind of bent over, put her face in her hands.”

The players themselves, sitting close to the judge with their legal teams, turned around to look back at their families. Westhead even heard one of the parents utter a simple but profound "Yes," capturing the sense of vindication after the lengthy and trying ordeal.

In her decision, the judge highlighted the inconsistencies in the complainant's testimony, as well as conflicts between her recollections, video recordings, and witness accounts.

The evidence ultimately led to the not guilty verdicts for Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote.

Rick Westhead on “absolute relief” for former players of 2018 Hockey Canada team

Rick Westhead discussed the long investigation process involving the five former players from Canada’s 2018 World Junior team and the challenges they've faced over the past seven years. Westhead said at 3:30:

“It's been kind of going through the criminal and the Hockey Canada investigative process almost days after this incident back in June 2018. So I think, I think if you had to pick one word to sum up how these guys are feeling, it's absolute relief.”

Westhead noted that several of the lawyers came out and gave statements after the verdict. Daniel Brown, the Toronto criminal lawyer representing Alex Formenton, shared how difficult and overwhelming the past seven years have been for his client.

While the public has only known about the case for the past three years, it has affected Formenton for much longer.