Former NHL player Ryan Kesler has been formally accused of criminal sexual conduct in Michigan, according to court documents. Kesler entered a not guilty plea on Monday to two misdemeanor charges of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
He is currently held on $50,000 bail and is prohibited from leaving Michigan without court approval. Kesler is set to appear in court on November 6. The allegations stem from an incident on January 1 in Orchard Lake, Michigan, which was reported the following day, but no further details have been made public.
Kesler’s lawyer, Robert Morad, strongly denies the accusations, stating that Kesler is innocent and confident that he will be cleared once all evidence is reviewed. Meanwhile, Kesler has been suspended from coaching youth hockey by the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association and is also barred from all USA Hockey activities. He had been coaching the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club’s 15O Bantam Midget team for the last three seasons.
Kesler, aged 41, had a 15-season NHL career primarily with the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks from 2003 to 2019. Over his career, he scored 258 goals, made 315 assists, appeared in two NHL All-Star Games, and earned the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward in the 2010-11 season.
Fan Take: This troubling development involving a well-known former NHL player is significant for the hockey community as it raises concerns about off-ice behavior and accountability for athletes. The outcome of this case could influence how hockey organizations handle similar situations in the future, affecting both the sport’s image and the trust fans place in its players.
