Former NHL player Ryan Kesler, 41, has been charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in Oakland County, Michigan, related to an alleged incident on January 2. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Monday and posted a $50,000 bond. Kesler cannot leave the state without court approval. His next court dates are a probable cause conference on November 6 and a preliminary examination on November 13. Details of the allegations have not been made public, according to ClickOnDetroit.
Ryan Kesler, a former NHL player who competed from 2003 to 2019 with the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks and represented the U.S. in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, has been suspended from coaching by the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association and from all USA Hockey activities. "The allegations are false, and he is prepared to fight them vigorously in court," Kesler's legal representative Robert Morad stated, as reported by CBS News Detroit.
Kesler has also coached youth hockey in the Metro Detroit area, including the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club 15O Bantam Midget team, though his name no longer appears on the organization’s website. "Ryan emphatically denies the allegations and is completely innocent of the charges," Morad added, saying Kesler’s legal team is confident he will be fully exonerated as the case proceeds, as mentioned by ESPN.
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