Devils to terminate prospect's contract after sexual assault conviction

The New Jersey Devils are in the process of terminating 22-year-old prospect Ben Johnson's contract after he was found guilty of sexual assault in a Windsor, Ontario courtroom Thursday.

The Devils released the following statement:

Earlier today, the club was informed of Windsor Superior Court Justice Kirk Munroe’s ruling against Mr. Johnson. Based on the ruling, the club has initiated the process required to terminate Mr. Johnson’s Standard Player’s Contract.

The charge originated from Johnson's time with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires. A woman alleged Johnson forced her to perform oral sex and then had non-consensual intercourse with her at a nightclub on March 17, 2013, according to CTV Windsor. She was 16 at the time and her friends testified that she was extremely intoxicated on the night in question.

In his ruling, Justice Munroe said he had no doubt an assault occurred and called Johnson's testimony, in which he said the girl pulled him into a bathroom stall and consented to perform oral sex, "a huge mystery to me."

Johnson was drafted 90th overall by the Devils in 2012, and spent the past three seasons in the AHL and ECHL. He had one year remaining on his entry-level contract.