Content advisory: This article includes graphic language and details of alleged sexual assault

LONDON, ONT. – Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden broke down crying while testifying Thursday about text messages he sent to a former Team Canada teammate in June 2018 when they learned Hockey Canada was investigating an alleged sexual assault that took place a week earlier following a golf and gala event in London, Ont.

Howden, who is 27, was testifying about messages he exchanged with Taylor Raddysh on June 26, 2018, about a week after an alleged incident in Michael McLeod’s hotel room in the early morning hours of June 19, 2018.

Howden became emotional as he spoke about his family and about his memories of telling his father about the alleged incident.

McLeod, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote are accused of sexually assaulting a then-20-year-old woman in McLeod’s hotel room. McLeod is facing a second charge as being a party to the act.

The woman, whose identity is protected by a publication ban and is referred to as E.M. in court documents, has alleged that after she had consensual sex with McLeod, he surreptitiously invited his teammates to his room and that she was sexually assaulted for hours.

Lawyers for the........

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