Former Vancouver Canucks player Willie Mitchell has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a 26-year-old woman at his residence in Tofino, British Columbia, three years ago. The civil claim, filed in the B.C. Supreme Court, alleges that Mitchell engaged in non-consensual and unprotected sexual activity with the plaintiff, identified as S.D.K., who was working as a server at Tofino Resort at the time.
According to court documents, Mitchell was a director and acting general manager of Tofino Resort, with the resort and an associated company also named as defendants in the lawsuit. The allegations have not been proven in court, and the defendants have not yet submitted their responses.
The claim states that on the night of September 11, 2022, after finishing her shift, S.D.K. went to The Hatch, the resort’s pub, where she consumed alcohol and became visibly intoxicated. Later in the evening, Mitchell reportedly escorted her to his home without her consent, where he engaged in sexual activity with her while she was in an altered state due to extreme intoxication.
The following day, S.D.K. reported the incident to local authorities and underwent a forensic nurse examination at Tofino General Hospital. The lawsuit alleges that Mitchell, as a representative of Tofino Resort, had a duty to ensure the plaintiff’s safety and prevent foreseeable harm, including sexual assault.
S.D.K. also plans to present evidence from other female complainants who claim that Mitchell had a history of coercing or harassing intoxicated women into sexual activities and harassing or assaulting female staff at Tofino Resort. She is seeking damages for the injuries she suffered, including loss of past and future earning capacity.
Additionally, S.D.K. has requested the court to keep her full name confidential to minimize the risk of widespread publication, citing concerns related to media attention surrounding recent high-profile cases. Mitchell, 48, a former Vancouver Island resident, played for the Vancouver Canucks and won Stanley Cups with the LA Kings before retiring from the NHL in 2016.
