NHL to allow five players acquitted in Hockey Canada case to sign with teams in October
Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Michael McLeod cleared to sign Oct. 15; league imposes discipline and sets Dec. 1 as return-to-play date
The National Hockey League said Thursday evening that five players who were acquitted on sexual assault charges this summer will be eligible to sign with NHL teams no sooner than Oct. 15 and, if signed, will be permitted to play in NHL games beginning Dec. 1.
The league identified the players as Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Michael McLeod. Dubé, Foote, Hart and McLeod are unrestricted free agents and free to sign with any club; Formenton is a Group 2 restricted free agent who remains on the Ottawa Senators’ reserve list, according to reporting by The Athletic. The NHL said players cleared to sign can begin team conditioning on Nov. 15 if they are under contract.
The five were acquitted in July after a woman identified in court as E.M. alleged she had been sexually assaulted in a London, Ontario, hotel room in June 2018 following a Hockey Canada event tied to the World Junior Championship. Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia ruled prosecutors had not proven the case and said she did not find the evidence "credible or reliable." London police initially investigated the allegation in 2018 and closed the inquiry in February 2019; the probe was reopened in July 2022 amid criticism of Hockey Canada’s handling of the matter.
In its announcement, the NHL said the conduct at issue "falls woefully short of the standards and values that the League and its Member Clubs expect and demand." The league added that each of the players, after in-person meetings with league officials following the verdicts, "expressed regret and remorse for his actions" and that the league would impose formal discipline. The statement said the league expects the players to "uphold the standards required of NHL players both on and off the ice."
The NHL Players’ Association said it had reached a "resolution" with the league to "avoid a protracted dispute that would cause further delay," and that it considered the matter closed and looked forward to the players' return. The NHL did not detail the specific disciplinary measures in its statement.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN this week that some clubs had inquired about the players’ eligibility. "It's not a lot of them, but some check in and see what the status is, just like you would ask what the status is," Daly said, according to the report. He added that inquiries do not necessarily indicate firm interest in signing the players but reflect clubs monitoring available personnel.
Hart is among the better-known players in the group after spending five seasons as the Philadelphia Flyers’ starting goaltender; multiple outlets have reported he is likely to draw interest on the free-agent market. The other players have varying professional histories and roster status that teams will weigh as they consider potential signings. If signed, teams will be able to have the players participate in on-ice conditioning beginning Nov. 15, ahead of the league’s Dec. 1 eligibility date for game participation.
Criticism of Hockey Canada’s governance and handling of misconduct allegations following the reopening of investigations in 2022 prompted broader scrutiny of the sport’s national governing body and triggered changes in oversight and accountability initiatives. The legal proceedings and subsequent league review unfolded amid that wider context of reform and public attention.
The NHL’s decision attempts to balance the legal outcomes reached in court with the league’s own standards for conduct, a process that included meetings between league officials and the players after the verdicts. The players’ eligibility to sign in mid-October allows clubs to make roster decisions during the early stages of the season and ahead of the NHL’s trade and waiver timelines.
Teams are now positioned to evaluate potential roster moves in coming weeks. The league and the players’ union said their agreement removes the immediate prospect of protracted grievance proceedings between the two sides, leaving discipline and reinstatement on the timeline set by the NHL.
