(Reuters) -Five former members of Canada’s 2018 gold medal-winning world junior ice hockey team may have been acquitted this week in a high-profile sexual assault case but whether they can resume their NHL careers is still to be determined.
Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart and Cal Foote were each found not guilty on Thursday of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room after a Hockey Canada gala in 2018 to celebrate the team’s world junior championship victory.
Four of the players were active NHL players when they were charged by police in 2024, which came shortly after they took leave from their respective teams, while Formenton was playing in Switzerland at the time. Their contracts have since expired.
According to CBC News, Justice Maria Carroccia told the courtroom on Thursday that she did not find the complainant’s evidence to be “credible or reliable” and that the Crown failed to prove she did not consent to the sexual activity.
Following Thursday’s verdict, the NHL said the players, who are now all between the ages of 25 and 27, are not allowed to sign with a team while it reviews the judge’s findings.
“The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing and the behavior at issue was unacceptable,” the NHL said in a statement
“We will be reviewing and considering the judge’s findings. While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the league.”
The NHL said it did not have further comment when asked by Reuters on Friday how long its review will take.
The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) said ruling the players ineligible during the review is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement.
“After missing more than a full season of their respective NHL careers, they should now have the opportunity to return to work,” the NHLPA said in a statement.
“The NHL’s declaration that the players are ‘ineligible’ to play pending its further analysis of the court’s findings is inconsistent with the discipline procedures set forth in the CBA.”
While the players were acquitted and even if the NHL makes them eligible it is too soon to say whether teams would be willing to give any of the men a chance.
“The damage to Mr. McLeod’s reputation and his career has been significant,” McLeod’s lawyer, David Humphrey, said outside the courthouse on Thursday. “But today’s decision begins to restore what was very unfairly taken away from him.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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