Accused of sexual assault, former Canucks hockey player Jake Virtanen is before the Supreme Court of British Columbia this week in Vancouver, where he is trying to win his case before his alleged victim accusing him of acts committed there almost five years old.

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The complainant, whose identity is protected by court order, was allegedly assaulted inside a hotel room on September 26, 2017; the 25-year-old player pleaded not guilty to a charge filed at the end of January, following an investigation opened in May 2021.

The daily "Vancouver Sun" reported some moments of the cross-examination conducted by the defense lawyer, Me Brock Martland.

The court was thus able to hear that Virtanen and the 23-year-old lady had met several months before the alleged facts. The legal representative also presented a video of the visibly intoxicated skater vomiting in the presence of the woman inside a Calgary home.

For her part, she claims that she did not want sex with the defendant, who was not imprisoned despite the charges against him.

Virtanen played last season with Spartak Moscow in the Continental League.