Didn't really see any "greasy" tactics or even unnecessary attacks on the accused here. There were simply a lot of he said/she said statements and enough collateral evidence, including videos of the accuser before and after the event to cast a "reasonable doubt".
If anything, it looked like defence counsel fumbled quite a few things and simply had a fact set that worked in their favor. They certainly lacked tact in their presentation at multiple occasions.
Who knows what actually happened here (besides the people involved that is). The players also aren't getting off scot-free. Several will likely never play in the NHL again, and their reputations have been demolished. The NHL has released some scathing remarks about them, and they still can't play in the NHL:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...-under-review/
This alone, is going to make pro-athletes reconsider their behaviour and the way they treat women. Seems like the whole thing, even without a guilty verdict, was likely worth it for that alone.