NHL Reinstates Five Players Acquitted in 2018 Sexual-Assault Case; Eligible to Play Dec. 1
League says conduct 'falls woefully short' of its standards but will allow returns after imposing discipline following in-person meetings with the players
The National Hockey League has approved the reinstatement of five players who were acquitted this summer in an Ontario sexual-assault trial, saying the athletes will be eligible to play in NHL games beginning Dec. 1.
In a statement Thursday, the league said the conduct at issue "falls woefully short of the standards and values that the League and its Member Clubs expect and demand." The NHL added that each player, after in-person meetings with league officials following the verdicts, "expressed regret and remorse for his actions," but that the matter nevertheless "requires formal League-imposed discipline."
The five defendants — Dillon Dube, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton — were found not guilty in July by Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia in a case stemming from an incident alleged to have occurred after a June 2018 gala in London, Ontario. The judge said she did not find the Crown's evidence credible or reliable and concluded the Crown had not met its legal onus. Carroccia said she found actual consent on the facts of the case and acquitted the men of the charges.
The NHL Players' Association issued a separate statement saying it "now consider[s] the matter closed and look[s] forward to the players' return," and that the league expects each player to uphold required standards on and off the ice. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN that multiple clubs had checked on the players' status, but he declined to confirm whether inquiries signified interest in signing them.
The allegations, first reported to police in 2018, involved an unidentified woman known in court records as E.M. who testified she was naked, intoxicated and frightened when members of the team entered her hotel room in the early morning hours of June 19, 2018. E.M. said she believed her only option to remain safe was to comply with what the men did. Prosecutors argued the players did not take steps to ensure voluntary consent. Defense lawyers questioned parts of her account and suggested she had participated in the activity.
London, Ontario, police initially investigated after receiving a call from a relative of the complainant and closed the file in 2019 without charges. In 2022, a civil lawsuit seeking approximately C$3.55 million was filed and was later settled with Hockey Canada; the settlement prompted London police to reopen their review and ultimately lay charges in 2024. The media coverage of the settlement also revealed that Hockey Canada had maintained funds used to resolve sexual-assault and abuse claims.
The criminal charges and the involvement of players from multiple NHL clubs sent ripples through the league when they were announced. At the time the allegations surfaced, Dube was with the Calgary Flames, Foote and McLeod were affiliated with the New Jersey Devils, Carter Hart was with the Philadelphia Flyers, and Formenton, who had been playing overseas in Switzerland, had been signed by the Ottawa Senators earlier in his career.
The NHL launched its own investigation in 2022. League Commissioner Gary Bettman previously said the release of the NHL's investigative findings would depend on legal restrictions. The NHL's Thursday announcement did not publish the internal report but indicated the league had met with each player and will impose discipline despite the criminal acquittals.
The five men, now in their mid-20s, left the courtroom free to go after the July verdicts. The judge's decision drew audible reaction in the courtroom and protests outside in support of the complainant. Carroccia spent much of her ruling addressing evidence and credibility, and she rejected arguments that the case required a legal reformulation of the concept of consent.
The league's decision to reinstate the players sets a Dec. 1 eligibility date for their return to NHL competition. Teams around the league have inquired about the players' status, according to Daly, though the league did not disclose details of any discipline that will be imposed or the specific conditions attached to their reinstatement.
For the NHL, the episode — spanning a criminal investigation, civil settlement and an internal inquiry — has underscored ongoing concerns about organizational culture and how allegations involving members of the hockey community are handled. Hockey Canada has faced scrutiny over its handling of the matter and the existence of funds used to settle claims. The league and players' association statements Thursday emphasized expectations for future conduct by the individuals involved.
The reinstatement resolves a major pending employment question for the men and the clubs that might consider them, but it is likely to remain a subject of public and internal scrutiny. The NHL said it would move forward with discipline while the players, teams and the players' association proceed with normal roster and contractual processes ahead of the Dec. 1 eligibility date.