NHL Sets Return Date for Players Acquitted in 2024 Case
The National Hockey League has announced that five players – Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote, Dillon Dube, and Alex Formenton - will be eligible to sign NHL contracts on October 15, 2025, and to play in NHL games beginning december 1, 2025. This decision follows their acquittal on charges stemming from an incident in London, Ontario, in january 2024.
The players were initially investigated following allegations related to the World Junior Championship team in 2018. Despite being found not guilty in court,the NHL determined the players’ conduct “fell woefully short of the standards and values that the league and its member clubs expect and demand,” according to a league statement.
Commissioner Gary Bettman possesses the authority, as outlined in Article 18-A of the collective bargaining agreement, to discipline players for off-ice conduct detrimental to the league, even without a criminal conviction. The NHL stated that each player expressed regret and remorse for their actions during meetings with league officials following the verdicts.
The league considered the players’ 20-month absence from the game – including the period following their acquittals in July - when determining the reinstatement timeline. This results in a total time away from the NHL of nearly two years. The NHL expects the players to uphold the standards required of NHL players both on and off the ice moving forward.
the NHL Players’ Association initially challenged the leagueS July statement, citing inconsistencies with the collective bargaining agreement. However, the NHLPA announced on Thursday that they reached a resolution to avoid a prolonged dispute and now consider the matter closed, looking forward to the players’ return.
Prior to their arrests,Hart,McLeod,Dube,and Foote were all playing in the NHL. Hart, a 26-year-old goaltender, was in his fifth season with the Philadelphia Flyers, boasting a career save percentage of .906,exceeding the NHL average in 2024-25 by six points. McLeod and Dube played forward for the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames, respectively. Foote, a defenseman, spent the 2024-25 season playing in Slovakia. Formenton had previously played for the Ottawa Senators and parts of two seasons in Switzerland.
Hart’s attorney, Megan Savard, stated after the verdicts that Hart ”regrets that it took a criminal trial for the truth to come out” and is committed to learning from the experience.
