Former Manitoba hockey coach pleads guilty to sexually assaulting, luring teen player

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A former Manitoba hockey coach has pleaded guilty to luring and sexually assaulting a teenage player.

Madison Biluk, 29, entered her guilty plea in a Manitoba courtroom on Wednesday.

According to an agreed statement of facts read in court by Crown attorney Larissa Campbell, the charges stem from a relationship the accused entered into with a player on a AAA Manitoba hockey team Biluk assistant-coached starting in 2019. The player’s identity is protected under a publication ban.

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Court heard the victim joined the team in the 2019/2020 season when she was 14 years old.

The victim was one of several girls Biluk would drive to and from the home rink starting in the fall of 2019.

Court heard Biluk spent time in the players’ dressing room alone—something that had already been flagged before the victim joined the team. It prompted a meeting with the head coach, who cautioned Biluk and the rest of the coaching staff to maintain appropriate boundaries with players, including respecting something called ‘the rule of two’, which calls for two adults to be present with a player.

Still, Campbell said another assistant coach noticed Biluk continued to spend time in the dressing room with players.

“She contacted them outside hockey and was particularly interested in their home lives,” Campbell said.

Court heard the victim was hurt in a game in October 2019, prompting direct messages from Biluk to check on how she was recovering.

Campbell said that began a stream of communication between the victim and the accused on FaceTime, Snapchat, and other social media platforms.

Soon, their conversations became more intimate, talking about sex, relationships, and sexual preference. Court heard Biluk told the victim she had previously dated a woman.

According to the Crown, the two had lengthy phone calls.

Campbell said it was during one of these calls that the victim and the accused confessed they liked each other.

From there, Biluk began sending sexual messages and sexually explicit photos on Snapchat.

Court heard Biluk kissed the victim while driving her home in December 2019. She was 15 at the time. Campbell said the victim became afraid, but Biluk assured her it was normal and okay.

They entered into a relationship, Campbell said, though Biluk told the victim to keep their relationship a secret.

The Crown said sexual activity began to escalate, including when Biluk rented an Airbnb on Valentine’s Day and recorded a sexual video with the victim.

Court heard the victim ended the relationship in June 2020, but they continued to meet and engage in sexual activity.

According to the statement of facts, a move to Alberta to coach hockey in the 2021-2022 season also led to similar concerns with Biluk’s inappropriate boundaries with players.

She was not invited back for the next season and returned to Winnipeg, though similar issues ended that coaching job.

Court heard the victim met another teenage female hockey player in 2023 who said she too was groomed by Biluk. Campbell said this spurred the victim to process the abuse she experienced. She eventually posted a video to TikTok in October 2023 outlining her relationship with Biluk, at which point the Winnipeg Police Service began investigating its claims, the Crown said.

Biluk was arrested weeks later on 15 offences.

Due to Biluk’s guilty plea on sexual assault and luring charges, the Crown stayed the other sexual assault and child pornography charges against her.

Biluk is set to be sentenced at a later date.