Copyright New York Daily News
Former professional hockey player Ryan Kesler is on the defense after being arrested and charged with two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct related to alleged inappropriate contact with a 16-year-old earlier this year. Through his legal counsel, the ex-NHL star — who played as a center for 15 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks — has denied the accusations stemming from an alleged incident on Jan. 1 in Michigan. Both counts allege that Kesler, 41, engaged in sexual contact with a 16-year-old child “through force or coercion and/or (had) reason to know the victim was physically helpless,” according to a criminal complaint filed by police in Orchard Lake, Mich., and obtained by USA Today Sports. Authorities obtained a warrant for Kesler’s arrest on Oct. 23, according to online records. He was arraigned Monday in Bloomfield Hills District Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was released after posting $50,000 bond and was ordered not to leave the state without permission from the court. He’s next scheduled to appear for a probable cause conference on Nov. 6, followed by a preliminary examination hearing on Nov. 13. Kesler has since been suspended by the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association from his role as a Detroit-area youth hockey coach, according to ESPN. “Ryan emphatically denies the allegations and is completely innocent of the charges,” his attorney Robert Morad said in a statement on Tuesday. “As the legal process begins, we ask for respect for his privacy and for the integrity of the judicial system. We are confident, when all the facts and circumstances are presented, that he will be fully exonerated.” Kesler, a native of suburban Detroit, played in the NHL from 2003 to 2020. During that time, he represented Team USA twice in the Winter Olympics, winning silver at the 2010 Vancouver games and finishing fourth in 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
