Ex-NHLer Ryan Kesler facing criminal sexual conduct charges in Michigan

Ex-NHL star and two-time Olympian Ryan Kesler is facing two misdemeanor charges of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in Michigan court. 

Court records showed that Kesler was arraigned on Monday in the 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and pleaded not guilty to the charges, which seem to stem from an incident that occurred on Jan. 1. 

The alleged incident occured in Orchard Lake, Michigan. 

The charges were filed on Oct. 23 and Kesler posted $50,000 bond. 

Little more is known about the charges, which were first reported by The Athletic. 

Kesler will next appear in court for a probable cause conference on Nov. 6. 

“Ryan emphatically denies the allegations and is completely innocent of the charges. The charges are baseless and he is prepared to fight them vigorously in court,” Robert Morad, Kesler’s attorney, told The Athletic. “As the legal process begins, we ask for respect for his privacy and for the integrity of the judicial system. We are confident, when all the facts and circumstances are presented, that he will be fully exonerated.”

Kesler spent 15 seasons in the NHL, 10 with the Canucks and five with the Ducks, and was a member of the 2010 and 2014 U.S. Olympic squads, helping the Americans to win silver in 2010. 

He appeared in 1,001 games during his NHL career and scored 258 goals and recorded 573 points. 

The 41-year-old won the Selke Trophy in 2011 as the league’s top defensive forward and helped the Canucks reach the Stanley Cup Final that year, which they eventually lost to the Bruins. 

Kesler last played in the NHL in 2019.

He is listed as a head coach for the Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club 15O Bantam Midget team and a post on X indicated that he was coaching the team on Sunday in Massachusetts.