London, Ontario — A sports attorney highlighted that NHL teams will have to balance talent against potential public backlash when considering whether to sign five players recently acquitted in a high-profile sexual assault case.
The NHL announced that Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, and Carter Hart, all currently free agents, can return to the ice by December 1. However, they will be eligible to sign contracts starting October 15 while waiting for their full reinstatement.
The players faced charges stemming from an incident following a gala event in 2018, which celebrated Canada’s gold medal at the world junior hockey championship. McLeod had an added charge of being a party to the offence. After a two-month trial, all five players were acquitted on July 24, having pleaded not guilty when proceedings began in April.
Greg Gilhooly, a lawyer and survivor of abuse, predicted a disparity in justice based on player performance. “Carter Hart will likely be signed despite the controversy, but other less prominent players might struggle to find teams,” he noted. Hart, a goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers, has a career save percentage of .906 and a goals-against average of 2.94.
At the time of their arrests in 2024, McLeod, Hart, Dube, and Foote were active players in the NHL, having recently been granted leave from their teams. Formenton, drafted in 2017 by the Ottawa Senators, has not played in the NHL since 2022 and recently signed with Swiss club Ambrì-Piotta.
Public sentiment surrounding the court’s decision has been mixed, with many expressing outrage and questioning the interpretation of “not guilty” as synonymous with innocence. Following their acquittal, the NHL initially suspended the players while it reviewed the judge’s findings.
The league’s statement emphasized that the players’ behavior fell significantly short of the standards expected in the NHL. “Each player expressed remorse for their actions in meetings with the league following the verdicts,” the statement read, but reiterated that disciplinary measures would still be applied.
The NHL Players’ Association welcomed the decision, expressing satisfaction that the players would have the chance to resume their careers. “We appreciate that the players fully cooperated with investigations. After their acquittal, we quickly engaged in discussions with the NHL about their return,” the association stated.
Online reactions have been varied, with some labeling the suspensions as public relations maneuvers. Others have demanded immediate reinstatement for the players while criticizing the broader culture within hockey. Gilhooly reflected on the difficult position the league finds itself in, pointing out, “The NHL is in a tough spot because once the judge established consent, these individuals were seen as innocent.”
Concerns have been raised regarding the application of moral clauses in contracts, suggesting that many players could be implicated if similar standards were uniformly enforced.
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