Details from day one of Jake Virtanen's trial

Former Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen took the stand today in the first day of his sexual assault trial, where he is being accused of a 2017 sexual assault on an 18 year old woman.

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Virtanen has plead not guilty in the case and maintains that the sexual relations between him and his accuser were entirely consensual.

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In May 2021, Vancouver police launched an investigation after a 23-year-old woman filed a complaint. She was 18 years old at the time of the alleged incident.

She took the stand Monday, saying she and Virtanen first met at the Calgary Stampede in July of 2017, roughly two months before the alleged incident.

The complainant, who cannot be identified, grew up in a small town in B.C.’s interior. She now lives in Victoria.

Virtanen is no longer employed by an NHL team and played last season with Moscow Spartak of the KHL. The trial is expected to last the duration of the week and while Virtanen's accuser will face cross examination on the stand, Virtanen himself is not expected to take the stand.