The Hockey Canada sexual assault trial has ended, with all five defendants declared not guilty. They were all in the NHL before the charges were filed, and now the league had to decide on their eligibility. After reviewing the case and the NHLPA getting involved, they will be reinstated. Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, and Alex Formenton will be eligible for NHL games on December 1.
“The five hockey players acquitted on sexual assault charges in the Hockey Canada trial will be eligible to return to the NHL later this season, a league source told The Athletic on Thursday,” Chris Johnston and Sean Gentile reported. “Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Cal Foote are officially unrestricted free agents, per the decision, and can sign contracts with any team. The contracts can be registered with the NHL on Oct. 15, and the players can begin conditioning with a team on Nov. 15 and appear in a game on Dec. 1.”
The accusation stemmed from a night in a London, Ontario hotel room while the players were celebrating their World Junior Championships victory. The prosecution's case was not deemed “reliable” by the judge, which sent all five players free back in July.
The NHL then said it needed to review the case. The league was then met with a letter from the NHLPA, which defended the players' ability to play in the league because of the verdict. While it took a few weeks, the league concurred with the PA and reinstated the Hockey Canada defendants.
Now, the Hockey Canada defendants will try and sign with a team in the first week of the regular season. They won't be able to participate in a training camp, but can play for the majority of the season. Will all five players find NHL jobs soon?
