The trial for a former Canucks forward accused of sexual assault has begun in Vancouver.
Jake Virtanen was in B.C. Supreme Court as Justice Catherine Wedge gave instructions to the 12-member jury on Monday.
Virtanen, a 25-year-old native of Abbotsford, B.C., 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 Virtanen 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 on leave the same month and his contract was bought out in June 2021.
He last played for Spartak Moscow in the Russian-based KHL and is not in custody.
—The Canadian Press
