15-Year NHL Center Charged With 2 Counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct

Monday, October 27, 2025 ,

Ducks' Ryan Kesler battling for puck with Canucks

 Former Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Kesler, now 41, has been charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree. He has pleaded not guilty.

Kesler last played with the Ducks, his 15th season in the NHL, in 2018-19. 

He was arraigned on Monday in a Bloomfield Hills, Mich., courtroom, and pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stemmed from an incident on January 1st. 

Kesler's lawyer has released a statement:

“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 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, a Michigan native, went viral this past summer when he was caught on a broadcast of a Seattle Mariners/Detroit Tigers game angrily throwing a Cal Raleigh home run ball that he caught back onto the field at Comerica Park.

In Kesler's 15-year career, he registered 573 points in 1,001 games, with a plus/minus rating of +10, averaging 18:50 ice time per night. He won the Selke Trophy in 2011 as Top Defensive Forward.

Photo: © Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images

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