Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017.
The suit was filed last Thursday in Kelowna, British Columbia, according to Glacier Media. It describes an incident in September 2017 at a hotel in West Vancouver, where Virtanen allegedly assaulted the woman as she repeatedly said no and pleaded with him to stop.
Virtanen’s legal representatives haven’t commented on the suit.
Virtanen, 24, was placed on leave by the Canucks on May 1 after the woman told Glacier Media about the incident.
“I couldn’t believe that I said no and he didn’t take that for an answer,” the woman told Glacier Media on May 1. “I felt violated and gross and wanted to leave.”
The woman was 18 at the time of the alleged attack.
Police are investigating the incident.
In the suit, the woman is identified by her initials and states that she suffered physical and emotional damages that include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and repeated and ongoing nightmares.
When the Canucks placed Virtanen on leave, they said they would conduct an independent investigation.
Virtanen, a first-round draft pick (sixth overall) by the Canucks in 2014, scored five goals in 38 games this season. He has 100 points (55 goals, 45 assists) in 317 career games with Vancouver.
-Field Level Media
