NHL Says All 5 Players Acquitted in Hockey Canada Sex Assault Case Can Return to League in December

A composite image of five photographs shows former members of Canada's 2018 World Juniors hockey team (L–R) Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, and Carter Hart as they individually arrived to court in London, Ont., on April 30, 2025. The Canadian Press/Nicole Osborne

The five hockey players acquitted in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case will be permitted to return to the NHL after Dec. 1.

The NHL said that the players, who are unrestricted free agents, are permitted to sign with a team on or after Oct. 15 while waiting for full reinstatement.

Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, and Carter Hart were all charged with one count of sexual assault after a woman alleged they sexually assaulted her in a London, Ont., hotel room on June 19, 2018, following the world junior team’s gold medal win in 2018. MacLeod was also charged with one count of being a party to the offences.

They all pleaded not guilty, and Justice Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia acquitted them all in July, expressing doubts about the Crown’s case.

After the ruling, the NHL said it would review the court’s findings.

The league released a statement on Sept. 11, saying that they had “carefully evaluated” the players’ acquittal.

The NHL said it had launched a third-party investigation into the matter, which included interviews with the players and others, as well as reviewing “hundreds of documents, videos, and texts.”

It noted that based on the court decision and the third-party investigation, the players’ conduct “falls woefully short of the standards and values that the League and its Member Clubs expect and demand.”

The statement said that each player had “expressed regret and remorse for his actions,” but noted that their conduct required formal league-imposed discipline.

“Taking into account that the players have been away from the game for 20 months—including since their acquittals in July—we have determined that the players will be eligible to sign an NHL contract no sooner than October 15, 2025, and eligible to play in NHL games no sooner than December 1, 2025, bringing their total time out of the League to nearly two years,” the statement said.

“The League expects and requires that, going forward, each of the players will uphold the standards required of NHL players both on and off the ice.”

The NHL Players’ Association said it was pleased with the decision, adding that following the acquittal decision, it had engaged the NHL in discussions about the players’ returning to the ice.

“To avoid a protracted dispute that would cause further delay, we reached the resolution that the league announced,” it said in a Sept. 11 post on X.

“We now consider the matter closed and look forward to the players’ return.”

McLeod, Hart, Dubé, and Foote were playing in the NHL when they were arrested in 2024. All four players had been granted leave from their clubs.

Formenton has since re-signed with the Swiss club Ambri-Piotta, the club he was playing with before he was charged.

The hockey club made the announcement on Sept. 9, saying Formenton has left behind “his personal affairs in Canada” and “expressed his desire to relaunch his professional career with the number 10 shirt of Ambri.”

“The Leventina club rejoices at his return and looks forward to welcoming him back to the ice of the Gotthard Arena,” the club said in a statement.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.