The NHL said the five players acquitted of sexual assault in the Hockey Canada case aren’t eligible to play in the league while it conducts a review of the case.
“The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing and the behavior at issue was unacceptable,” the league said in a statement on Thursday, July 24, according to The Athletic. “We will be reviewing and considering the judge’s findings. While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the league.”
Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were found not guilty of sexual assault by a judge on Thursday and McLeod was acquitted of a secondary charge of being a party to the offense.
All five were in London, Ontario, in June 2018 for a Hockey Canada gala celebrating their gold medal in the world junior hockey championship. Police charged them with sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room, but Justice Maria Carroccia ruled that she didn’t find the complainant’s evidence ‘credible or reliable.’
All but Formenton were with NHL teams at the time they were charged in February 2024. The other four took leaves of absence and were cut loose when their teams didn’t give them qualifying offers that June. All five are unrestricted free agents.
The NHL Players’ Association disagreed with the league’s action, noting that the players had been acquitted of all charges.
‘After missing more than a full season of their respective NHL careers, they should now have the opportunity to return to work,’ the NHLPA said in a statement. ‘The NHL’s declaration that the Players are ‘ineligible’ to play pending its further analysis of the Court’s findings is inconsistent with the discipline procedures set forth in the CBA. We are addressing this dispute with the League and will have no further comment at this time.’