NHL
Kesler, 41, pleaded not guilty to the charges on Monday. Jeff Vinnick / NHLI via Getty Images
Ryan Kesler, a retired NHL center, has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree, according to court records.
Kesler, 41, was arraigned Monday in a Bloomfield Hills, Mich., courtroom, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were filed against him on Oct. 23 over events on Jan. 1, according to court records. His next court appearance, a probable cause conference, is scheduled for Nov. 6.
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Police in Orchard Lake, Mich., confirmed Kesler’s arraignment and said he was booked and posted $50,000 bond. The alleged incident was reported on Jan. 2, the police department said in a press release on Tuesday. They released no other details.
“Ryan emphatically denies the allegations and is completely innocent of the charges. The charges are baseless and he is prepared to fight them vigorously in court,” his attorney Robert Morad told The Athletic when reached by phone Monday evening. “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.”
The Michigan Amateur Hockey Association, the sport’s governing body in the state, has suspended Kesler from all MAHA and USA Hockey activities, MAHA president Tom Berry told The Athletic. Kesler is in his third season as a head coach with the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club, an elite Detroit-area youth program.
Brian Rolston, the program’s executive director, did not initially return a phone call or email seeking comment on Tuesday morning.
Kesler, a native of Livonia, Mich., played for two NHL teams — the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks — from 2003-19 and was a member of the 2010 and 2014 U.S. Olympic teams.
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