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3mo ago

NHL Sets Dec. 1 Return for Acquitted Hockey Canada Players, With Signing Allowed Oct. 15

A union-negotiated resolution waives appeals after a league review concluded the conduct fell short of NHL standards.

A composite image of five photographs show former members of Canada's 2018 World Juniors hockey team, left to right, Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube and Carter Hart as they individually arrived to court in London, Ont., Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
Carter Hart leaves court after a judge found him and his teammates not guilty in the trial involving players from Canada’s 2018 gold medal–winning world junior hockey team, who were charged with sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room, at the Superior Court of Justice in London, Ontario, Canada, July 24, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File Photo
Carter Hart, one of five teammates on Canada's 2018 gold medal-winning world junior hockey team charged with sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room, leaves the Superior Court of Justice in London, Ontario, Canada April 22, 2025. REUTERS/Brett Gundlock/File Photo

Overview

  • Contracts can be registered starting Oct. 15, team conditioning may begin Nov. 15, and game eligibility starts Dec. 1 with suspensions in place until then.
  • The agreement between the NHL and NHLPA imposes discipline without a commissioner’s hearing, and the players gave up their right to appeal.
  • The five are Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton, who were acquitted on July 24 after the judge found the complainant’s evidence not credible; the Crown did not appeal.
  • Hart, McLeod, Dube and Foote are unrestricted free agents, while Formenton remains on the Ottawa Senators’ reserve list and recently signed with Swiss club Ambri-Piotta, leaving his NHL availability uncertain.
  • The league cited roughly 20 months out of NHL play in setting the phased timeline, and observers say teams will weigh player value against potential public backlash when considering signings.