By Rory Carroll
(Reuters) -Five former players on Canada’s 2018 world junior ice hockey team, who were cleared of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room that year, will be barred from participating in games until at least Dec. 1 as the NHL said their conduct “fell woefully short” of league standards.
Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Michael McLeod — all members of Canada’s 2018 gold medal-winning world junior ice hockey team — will be eligible to sign NHL contracts no earlier than October 15 and return to play from December 1, the league said.
The decision follows their acquittal on charges of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room in London, Ontario, following a gala to celebrate the team’s victory.
The five were acquitted in July, with Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia ruling that the prosecution had not met its burden of proof.
“The events… were deeply troubling and unacceptable,” the NHL said in a statement, adding that while the conduct was found not to be criminal, it “certainly did not meet” its standards.
The league said it expects “the highest level of moral integrity” from those connected with the game.
Four of the players were active in the NHL when they were charged in early 2024, shortly after taking leave from their teams. Formenton was playing professionally in Switzerland at the time. All five players’ contracts have since expired.
The NHL said it launched a third-party investigation in May 2022 after learning of the allegations. The probe included interviews with every player on the 2018 team and other cooperating parties, as well as a review of hundreds of documents, videos and text messages.
Following the verdicts, the league met with each player in person.
“Each of the players… expressed regret and remorse for his actions,” the NHL said.
“Nevertheless, we believe their conduct requires formal League-imposed discipline.”
The league said it considered the acquittals and the time already spent away from the game — about 20 months — in determining the disciplinary measures. The restrictions announced on Thursday will extend their absence to nearly two years.
“The League expects and requires that, going forward, each of the players will uphold the standards required of NHL players both on and off the ice,” the statement added.
The NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) said it welcomed the decision, noting that it had reached a resolution with the league to avoid further delays.
“The players cooperated with every investigation. Upon their full acquittal… we initiated discussions with the NHL regarding the players’ return to work,” the NHLPA said in a statement.
“To avoid a protracted dispute that would cause further delay, we reached the resolution that the league announced today. We now consider the matter closed and look forward to the players’ return.”
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Long Beach, California, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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