The NHL is welcoming back five players who were cleared of sexual assault charges this past summer related to claims from an alleged 2018 incident after a Hockey Canada event in Ontario.
Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, and Michael Mc Leod will be eligible to play in NHL games starting on Dec. 1, the league announced in a statement Thursday evening, as they can sign with an NHL team no earlier than Oct. 15.
Dubé, Foote, Hart, and Mc Leod are unrestricted free agents and can sign with any club. Meanwhile, Formenton is classified as a Group 2 restricted free agent and remains on the Senators’ reserve list, according to The Athletic.
Dillon Dube arrives at the London Courthouse in London, Ontario, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. AP
The five players can start conditioning with their new team – if they get signed – beginning on Nov. 15 as reported by the outlet.
Dubé, Foote, Hart, Formenton, and Mc Leod were found not guilty in July after a woman known as E. M. claimed she was sexually assaulted over several hours in a hotel room in London, Ont., back in June 2018 following a celebration hosted by Hockey Canada for their World Junior Championship win earlier that year.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia ruled that prosecutors had not made their case and that she found the evidence “credible or reliable.”
In the announcement on Thursday, the NHL stated that the “League has determined that the conduct at issue falls woefully short of the standards and values that the League and its Member Clubs expect and demand.”
Carter Hart leaves the London Courthouse in London, Ontario after being acquitted of sexual assault charges on July 24, 2025. Getty Images
“Each of the players expressed regret and remorse for his actions during meetings with the League following the verdicts. Nevertheless, we believe their conduct requires formal League-imposed discipline,” continued the statement. “The League expects each player to uphold the standards required of NHL players both on and off the ice going forward.”
The NHL Players’ Association mentioned it had reached a “resolution” with the league to “avoid a protracted dispute that would cause further delay.”
“We now consider this matter closed and look forward to seeing these players return,” concluded their statement.
London police initially began looking into these allegations during the week they supposedly occurred but wrapped up their inquiry by February 2019. However, due to criticism about how Hockey Canada handled things, authorities reopened their investigation in July 2022.
Cal Foote exits from London Courthouse in London after being acquitted of sexual assault charges on July 24, 2025. Getty Images
NHL teams have reportedly been asking about these players’ eligibility status; deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN this week there’s been “not a lot of them checking in but some have asked about status like you would ask what’s going on.”
“I don’t know if that means they’re interested [in signing them] or not; they’ve just been checking status from time to time,” he shared with reporters.
Hart stands out among those five players having spent five seasons as starting goalie for the Flyers; he’s expected to attract interest from various NHL teams.
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