Then-Florida Panthers defenceman Willie Mitchell (33) prepares for a faceoff during second period NHL hockey action against the Ottawa Senators, in Sunrise, Fla., Dec. 22, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Joel Auerbach
October 02, 2025 - 12:17 PM
VANCOUVER — A woman has filed a lawsuit against former NHL player Willie Mitchell and a resort in Tofino, B.C., alleging she was sexually assaulted by the one-time Vancouver Canuck while she was "extremely intoxicated."
The plaintiff, who isn't named in the lawsuit, says in a civil claim filed in British Columbia Supreme Court on Wednesday that she was employed as a server at Tofino Resort + Marina Inc. in September 2022.
The woman's claim says the resort was hosting a fishing tournament and after finishing her shift she went to an adjoining pub, where she became "visibly impaired" by alcohol, leaving her with only "fragmented" memories of the evening of Sept. 11, 2022.
The lawsuit says Mitchell escorted her from the pub while she was wearing only one shoe and took her back to his home, where he allegedly "engaged in unprotected sexual activity" with the woman without "express or implied" consent.
The allegations in the lawsuit have not been tested or proven in court, and neither Mitchell nor the resort have filed responses in the case, while messages left for resort officials were not immediately returned.
The lawsuit says Mitchell was a company director at the resort up until February 2023.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2025.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2025