Rick Westhead
@rwesthead
Author, journalist with The Sports Network, CTV. Former Toronto Star foreign correspondent & contributor to NY Times 🇨🇦 [email protected] DMs open
My new book, WE BREED LIONS: Confronting Canada’s Troubled Hockey Culture, is coming this fall. Hockey in Canada is at a crossroads. Over the past three years, I have interviewed current and former junior hockey players, as well as parents, player agents, hockey coaches and…
Latest from @rwesthead: Five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team were acquitted of all charges Thursday in the London hockey trial. Justice Maria Carroccia of the Ontario Court of Justice said she “did not find the evidence of E.M. to be credible or reliable."…
A judge is scheduled to announce the verdicts in the sexual assault trials of five former members of Canada’s 2018 world juniors hockey team this morning. Justice Maria Carroccia is expected to begin reading the reasons for her verdicts shortly after court begins at 10 am. It may…
Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia will announce her verdicts in the London hockey trial of five former 2018 World Junior players on Thursday. A complete timeline of the developments and stories from @rwesthead. MORE: tsn.ca/nhl/1.2294350
An Illinois state court judge has denied the Chicago Blackhawks' request for summary judgment in a negligence suit filed by a second John Doe who alleges he was sexually assaulted by former team video coach Brad Aldrich. A trial date in the case could be set as soon as October…
A British track coach has been banned for life after an investigation determined he had an intimate relationship with an athlete, sent sexually inappropriate images and uttered racist slurs. A UK Athletics discipline committee found Chris Barnes breached its coaches code of…
“Kids who are serious about sports now don’t just spend hours practicing; they also spend hours building their brands. Today, just about every notable college prospect has dozens of tightly edited YouTube highlight reels and tens of thousands of Instagram followers.” Compelling…
Hockey Canada should push for a ban on fighting across all junior leagues, according to a team of researchers commissioned by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), a federal agency that is funded by Sport Canada. In a new report, the researchers highlighted…
From @rwesthead - The OSIC is urging Hockey Canada to push for a ban on fighting across all junior leagues and implement a national sanctions registry to inform the public about people who have been banned or suspended for serious maltreatment: tsn.ca/chl/rick-westh…
A revealing look at the online hate and threats faced by pro tennis players in a report published today by the Women’s Tennis Association and the International Tennis Federation. The report described an artificial intelligence threat analysis of 1.6M social media posts and…
Crown attorney Meaghan Cunningham scrutinized a video Michael McLeod filmed of E.M. at 4:26 am in his hotel room on June 19, 2018. “Say it,” McLeod says in the video. “This was all consensual. Are you recording me? Okay good,” E.M. answers. “What else?” McLeod says. “You are so…
Crown attorney Meaghan Cunningham took aim at a purported consent video during her closing argument Friday, arguing the video is evidence of how Michael McLeod badgered the complainant to say what he wanted as he filmed her. Story from @rwesthead: tsn.ca/crown-takes-ai…
Crown attorney Meaghan Cunningham said in her closing statement on Thursday that defence lawyers inappropriately trumpeted rape myths during the high-profile sexual assault trial. Defence lawyers pressed E.M. during cross-examination about why she didn’t call for help, or lock…
Crown attorney Meaghan Cunningham asserted Thursday that defence lawyers for five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team have inappropriately trumpeted rape myths during the high-profile sexual assault trial. Story from @rwesthead: tsn.ca/crown-continue…
Michael McLeod lied to London police officer Stephen Newton in November 2018 when he said he had no clue why his former teammates kept showing up to his hotel room during the early-morning hours of June 19, 2018, Crown attorney Meaghan Cunningham said on Wednesday. Cunningham:…
Content advisory: This article includes graphic language and details of alleged sexual assault. From @rwesthead - Crown says Michael McLeod lied to police about alleged incident in London hotel room: tsn.ca/nhl/rick-westh…
Barrie Colts billet parent Ryan Wood was arrested on May 20 and has been charged with sexual assault. Colts co-owner Jim Payetta told TSN that Wood had been a billet parent for the OHL club over each of the past three seasons. Payette: “We have spoken to all players that have…
A Barrie Colts billet parent was arrested on May 20 and has been charged with sexual assault. Story from @rwesthead: tsn.ca/chl/barrie-col…
Alex Formenton’s lawyer Daniel Brown accused E.M. of perjury during his closing statement. Brown: “She didn’t just get things wrong, she lied under oath… It should give your honour concerns that she has done this elsewhere.” Brown suggested E.M. consumed enough alcohol during…
E.M., the complainant in the London hockey trial, was an unreliable witness who lied under oath and changed her story as new facts about the alleged sexual assault emerged, a defence lawyer asserted on Tuesday. Story from @rwesthead: tsn.ca/alex-formenton…
Please tune in tonight during our Canadian Shield pre-game show as Vancouver Whitecaps and Canadian men's national team player Jayden Nelson trusts us with a story he shares publicly for the first time. @JaydenNelson__ @WhitecapsFC @CANMNT_Official
