N.S. minor hockey player accused of sexual assault pleads guilty to three charges

The young offender, dressed in a white dress shirt and blue dress pants, pleaded guilty to all three charges.

About 20 people were in the courtroom at the time. Several teary-eyed people hugged in the hallway after the hearing. Family members declined comment.

“Guilty pleas mean that the accused is accepting responsibility for the offence and, legally, it means that the young person is remorseful for what happened, so he’ll get credit for that at the sentencing,” Crown prosecutor Patrick Young said after the hearing.

“For the Crown, it means the victims in this case don’t have to testify at a trial. It means that the outcome is certain in terms of criminal liability established on those charges. And it spares the victims and families from having to endure this process any longer than necessary.”

The accused was also facing a separate assault charge involving one of the three victims on a later date, but Young said that charge would be withdrawn.

The guilty pleas come after another boy facing similar charges changed his plea to guilty on one charge of sexual assault with a weapon in September. That boy was set to testify against the player who changed his pleas on Monday.

According to an agreed statement of facts, most of the team was attending a sleepover on Oct. 3, 2025, when they gathered in upstairs bedrooms while several parents were downstairs.

One of the players was laying on his stomach on a bed and scrolling through his phone when two 14-year-old boys pinned him down, pulled down his pants and underwear and used a mini hockey stick during the sexual assault, court heard.

The victim told them to stop, which they did after he began to cry, Young said. The episode lasted 15 to 20 seconds, the Crown said, but to the complainant it “felt like forever.”

The two accused then tried to do the same thing to two other players, but were unable to fully remove their underwear. Other players were present for all of the offences, court heard.

The first victim said he was hurt mentally and wanted to tell his parents, but did not know how. He also didn’t want to get anybody in trouble. He eventually told his parents, and police were notified at the end of January 2026.

Neither of the two accused can be identified because of a standard publication ban under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Outside the courtroom, Young said there will be a joint sentencing recommendation, but details of the plea negotiation are privileged. He said he could not discuss why one of the accused pleaded guilty to three charges, and the other to only one.

“My message for people in Nova Scotia is that, unfortunately, sexual violence, sexual assault is a crime that is under-reported,” said Young. “And I hope people understand that the criminal justice system can respond to those types of challenging cases. And if people do decide to come forward, there are supports in place to help them.”

Nova Scotia’s provincial governing body for hockey said it first learned about an allegation involving a minor on Jan. 30, the same day police said the incident was reported.

Hockey Nova Scotia has said it immediately referred the matter to the RCMP. As well, the organization confirmed a youth team had been suspended.

Four youths were arrested in early February, but charges were laid against only two of them on Feb. 24.

Both of the accused were released from custody and ordered by the court not to contact three people. The two were also prohibited from entering public dressing rooms unless they were with an adult.

On Feb. 27, the RCMP issued a statement saying investigators were concerned that other victims had yet to come forward. The statement said anyone who had been the victim of assault “under the guise of team initiation or bonding” would be heard and supported.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2026.

Devin Stevens, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

N.S. minor hockey player accused of sexual assault pleads guilty to three charges

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