Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Trial date set for former Vancouver Canuck Jake Virtanen charged with sexual assault

Trial date set for former Vancouver Canuck Jake Virtanen charged with sexual assault | iNFOnews.ca
Vancouver Canucks' Jake Virtanen (18) and Calgary Flames' Josh Leivo, front right, vie for the puck as goalie Jacob Markstrom, back left, of Sweden, watches during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Saturday, February 13, 2021. A trial date has been set for a former Vancouver Canucks forward charged with sexual assault.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER – A trial date has been set for a former Vancouver Canucks forward charged with sexual assault.

Jake Virtanen’s case is set to be heard by a judge and jury in B.C. Supreme Court starting on July 18.

Virtanen, 25, was charged with one count of sexual assault in January following a police investigation into an incident that took place on Sept. 26, 2017, when he was playing for the Canucks.

Vancouver police launched the investigation in May 2021 after a 23-year-old woman filed a complaint.

The Canucks placed Virtanen, a native of Abbotsford, B.C., on leave the same month and his contract was bought out in June.

He last played for Spartak Moscow in the Russian-based KHL and is not in custody.

Virtanen was selected sixth overall by Vancouver in the 2014 NHL draft and played 317 regular-season games for the Canucks, registering 55 goals and 100 points.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2022.

News from © iNFOnews.ca, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

iNFOTEL

Related Articles