Former Vancouver Canuck Jake Virtanen has taken the stand in British Columbia Supreme Court to deny that he sexually assaulted a woman nearly five years ago.

Virtanen told the jury trial that the woman, who has testified she repeatedly told him B次元官网网址渘oB次元官网网址� before the alleged assault, had been an B次元官网网址渆nthusiastic participant.B次元官网网址�

Questioned Thursday by one of his defence lawyers, Colleen Elden, Virtanen disputed the womanB次元官网网址檚 testimony and denied that he used his body weight to pin her down on the bed in his Vancouver hotel room in September 2017.

Virtanen appeared to take time to compose himself and briefly put his head in his hands before describing the moment he first heard about the allegation.

He said through tears that he was in B次元官网网址渦tter disbeliefB次元官网网址� when his agent told him in April 2021 that a woman was going to publicly accuse him of sexual misconduct.

Virtanen, who is now 25, was charged with one count of sexual assault in January following an investigation by Vancouver police.

His testimony is set to continue Friday.

The Crown has finished calling evidence in the trial.

Virtanen told the court he met the woman when he was 20 years old and she was 18 at the Calgary Stampede in 2017, and they stayed in touch over Instagram and text messages throughout that summer when they both returned to B.C.

They exchanged B次元官网网址渇lirtatious messagesB次元官网网址� and small talk, and discussed getting together when she came to Vancouver, he said.

Elden asked Virtanen if he thought they would have sex before he took her to his hotel room after picking her up from a friendB次元官网网址檚 house where she was staying.

B次元官网网址淚 wasnB次元官网网址檛 sure, but that would be up to her,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淚t would have been her choice.B次元官网网址�

The woman, whose name is protected by a publication ban, testified earlier this week that she had a B次元官网网址渟inking feelingB次元官网网址� in her stomach upon arriving at the hotel, but she trusted Virtanen, so she went up to his room. She told the court he was kissing and touching her, and she tried to push him off, saying she didnB次元官网网址檛 want to have sex.

Virtanen testified the woman didnB次元官网网址檛 seem upset at any point.

They mutually began kissing and touching each other while lying on the bed, and they helped each other take their clothes off before having sex, he said.

The Canucks placed Virtanen on leave in May 2021 after the assault allegation was made public, and then bought out his contract the following month. He last played in the Russian-based Kontinental Hockey League.

During cross-examination earlier Thursday, VirtanenB次元官网网址檚 lawyer Brock Martland asked the 23-year-old woman why she attended a pre-season game between the Canucks and Calgary Flames two days after the night of the alleged assault.

She told the jury trial she went to the game with her friend because she had always wanted to attend a professional game, having played sports throughout her life.

The woman testified she hadnB次元官网网址檛 fully processed what had happened, and she was behaving as if everything was normal because she wanted to pretend the alleged assault hadnB次元官网网址檛 occurred.

She had agreed that the incident she had described in court was an B次元官网网址渁ggressive rape,B次元官网网址� which was traumatic for her, and that she didnB次元官网网址檛 want to see Virtanen afterwards.

The woman did not go to police in September 2017, the time of the alleged assault.

In April 2021, she posted her story to an Instagram page for survivors of sexual assault, then spoke with a reporter from Glacier Media for a newspaper story, naming Virtanen as the man who allegedly sexually assaulted her.

Martland homed in on messages she exchanged with that page.

He showed her a screenshot image of a message where she referred to B次元官网网址渞umoursB次元官网网址� about what had happened, saying B次元官网网址淚t was just looked at as, B次元官网网址極h, (she) slept with an NHL player,B次元官网网址� like it was a good thing that I should feel proud of, and I was left questioning if it was even considered an assault because of his position in hockey.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淵es,B次元官网网址� she replied.

B次元官网网址淥ver the years, I did say that I doubted myself because of people not believing me.B次元官网网址�

Martland showed the woman another message where she said people were making B次元官网网址渉arshB次元官网网址� comments about Virtanen online after his name was associated with her allegation, and she was concerned it could lead to violence toward him.

B次元官网网址淚 obviously donB次元官网网址檛 like him for what he did, but I wouldnB次元官网网址檛 want to wish violence upon him,B次元官网网址� she testified in response.

B次元官网网址淚 did want him penalized, I did want him held accountable, and even when I went to the police initially, I felt a little bit uncomfortable about, you know, having someone charged and essentially ruining their life,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淏ut at the same time, he didnB次元官网网址檛 even skip a beat when he violated me.B次元官网网址�

During an earlier cross-examination, Martland suggested the woman could have offered an excuse for why she couldnB次元官网网址檛 have sex, like saying she was menstruating.

B次元官网网址淚 thought saying B次元官网网址楴o, I donB次元官网网址檛 want to do this. I seriously donB次元官网网址檛 want to do this,B次元官网网址� holding my hands on his hips, pushing him off me, was enough,B次元官网网址� she replied.

Before wrapping up his cross-examination on Thursday, Martland apologized for the question about why she had not offered an excuse, calling it insensitive.

B次元官网网址擳he Canadian Press