Former Cornell goaltender David McKee has pleaded not guilty to two felony rape charges in Santa Ana, Calif., after being arraigned earlier this month.
McKee, a Hobey Baker Award finalist in 2005, posted $100,000 bail and is due in court for a pre-trial hearing on July 10.
According to the Orange County District Attorney’s office, McKee was indicted by a grand jury in May.
McKee is accused of raping an intoxicated and unconscious woman in her Newport Beach apartment after a night of drinking at a nearby bar in July 2006, when he was in California for an NHL camp.
A news release from the DA alleged that McKee met a 25-year-old woman at a bar, then went to her apartment with a group of men and women. The woman went into her bedroom alone to go to sleep.
Prosecutors contend that at approximately 4:15 a.m. on July 13, McKee raped the woman in her bedroom “while she was unconscious and unable to resist due to her intoxication.”
The woman woke up during the alleged assault and called police, the release said.
McKee faces one felony count of rape of an unconscious person and one felony count of rape by intoxication. He faces a maximum sentence of eight years in state prison if convicted.
Allan Stokke, McKee’s lawyer, told KTLA-TV earlier this month that the length of time between the alleged incident and the filing of charges was “highly, highly unusual.”
He also told the station, “I understand the case was rejected at least twice by the district attorney.”
McKee has played for five minor league teams since leaving Cornell after his junior season in 2006. He signed with Anaheim and briefly joined the team as a backup but never played.
