Warning: This story contains graphic details and allegations of sexual assault
The next Crown witness has taken the stand in the sexual assault trial of five former members of the 2018 Team Canada world junior hockey team.
Just after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Tyler Steenbergen, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing, appeared remotely on the witness stand to be questioned by the prosecution.
Crown Attorney Heather Donkers asked Steenbergen about how he came to be in room 209 of the Delta hotel in London, Ont. in the early morning hours of June 19, 2018.
He told the court he came back to the hotel with Dillon Dube and another teammate, Jake Bean. Soon after they got there, they got a text message that there was food in McLeod’s room.
He said when he got there, he heard someone say, “Guys, there’s a naked girl in the bathroom,” adding, that he was kind of shocked when a female came out unclothed.
After coming out of the bathroom, Steenbergen testified that the female laid down on the floor on a bed sheet, started masturbating and said, “Can one of you guys come over and f--k me?”
After that, Steenbergen said Carter Hart went over and received oral sex.
When asked by Donkers to describe the mood or atmosphere in the room at the time, Steenbergen said, “I feel like when she asked the guys to come over to have sex with her, I feel like everyone was just kind of in shock that she had said that.”
He went on to say that once Hart received the oral sex, he remembered the female saying something along the lines of, “You guys are being pu----s,” at which point, Michael McLeod then received oral sex.
At 4:28 p.m. on Wednesday, noticing the time of day, Donkers said it would be a convenient time to break for the day and start again at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Steenbergen, who is now 27 years old, was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in 2017 and is the third non-charged player to testify in the trial — joining Taylor Raddysh who currently plays for the Washington Capitals of the NHL and Boris Katchouk, who plays for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL.
Steenbergen lives in Sylvan Lake, Alta where he works for his dad’s construction company building small starter homes.
Re-examination of the complainant
The complainant in the sexual assault trial of five former members of Canada’s World Junior hockey team has completed her testimony.
On Wednesday morning, Crown Attorney Meaghan Cunningham completed her re-examination of the woman, known as E.M., on topics raised during cross-examination by the defence.
Cunningham asked E.M., whose identity is protected by a publication ban, about her understanding of whether the players would be identified in a $3.55 million lawsuit she filed against Hockey Canada in April 2022.
“My understanding was that they wouldn‘t be identified at all and that was the reason for going with the John Doe names,” E.M. testified.
“Does the statement of claim say anything about which of these specific acts each John Doe did?” Cunningham asked.
“No...it doesn‘t say who did what,” E.M. testified.
“Does the statement of claim say that eight different people touched you in a sexual manner?” Cunningham asked.
“No, it doesn‘t say that,” E.M. testified.
E.M., who is now 27, also testified that in 2022 when she provided Hockey Canada with the names of the eight players connected to her alleged sexual assault, she was under the impression that information wouldn‘t be made public. (Carter Hart’s lawyer, Megan Savard, previously referred to E.M.’s statement as a “public document.”)
“I thought it was going to just Hockey Canada,” E.M. testified.
Earlier in the day, Cunningham asked E.M. about her boyfriend, after she was cross-examined by Michael McLeod’s lawyer, David Humphrey.
During his questioning, Humphrey suggested a “new character” needed to be introduced to the story - confirming with E.M. that she had a boyfriend at the time of the alleged incidents.
E.M. told the court during that questioning that she and her boyfriend had been together for about three months with E.M. calling the relationship “new” and “in the early stages” at the time of the alleged assault.
Cunningham asked E.M. on Wednesday morning, when did she disclose to police that she had a boyfriend, and E.M. said it was during her initial police interview in 2018.
“That was something I said from the start,” said E.M.
Defence lawyers finished cross-examining the woman Tuesday, and the Crown now has the opportunity to follow up on any topics raised in that process.
This is E.M.’s ninth day on the stand.
McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dube and Callan Foote have pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault.
The charges stem from an alleged encounter that took place in a London, Ont., hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018.
- Here’s a recap of week two
- Day 11: Defence suggests complainant was ‘taunting and threatening’ former junior hockey players during sexual assault trial
- Day 12: Defence’s ‘splits’ argument draws strong reaction from complainant in hockey player sexual assault cross-examination
If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:
If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety, you should call 911.
A full list of sexual assault centres in Canada that offer information, advocacy and counselling can be found on the website for Ending Sexual Violence Association of Canada.
Helplines, legal services and locations that offer sexual assault kits in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia can be found here.
National Residential School Crisis Line: +1 866 925 4419
24-hour crisis line: 416 597 8808
Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: +1 833 900 1010
Trans Lifeline: +1 877 330 6366
Sexual misconduct support for current or former members of the Armed Forces: +1 844 750 1648
Read about your rights as a victim here.
