In brief
An independent appeals board has ruled that four hockey players who were acquitted of sexual assault last year must continue to sit out all Canadian‑sanctioned programs. The players—Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Carter Hart—will be eligible to play for Canada only when their respective suspension dates pass in 2027, 2028 and 2030, while Alex Formenton, who also broke conduct rules, is being reinstated. The incident involved a hotel room in London, Ontario in 2018; the trial in July 2025 found the players not guilty because evidence was deemed unreliable. Despite the NHL allowing all five players to sign with its teams, Hockey Canada has imposed separate disciplinary limits.
Hockey Canada’s independent appeals board has backed the suspension of four former junior national team members despite their acquittal on sexual assault charges. The decision maintains that Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Carter Hart have broken the federation’s code of conduct and must remain barred from all Canada‑sanctioned play.
Alex Formenton, the fifth player investigated, will be reinstated. The board determined that while all five were found not guilty in July 2025, they violated conduct rules that apply to sport participants beyond criminal liability.
The players were accused of assaulting a woman named EM in a London, Ontario hotel room during a 2018 gala. Justice Maria Carroccia ruled the complainant’s evidence was not credible, leading to acquittals. Nevertheless, Hockey Canada treats the incident as a breach of workplace ethics.
The suspension dates differ: Foote may return on 10 November this year, Hart and Dube on 10 November 2027 and 10 November 2028, and McLeod on 10 November 2030. The rationale for varying dates was not disclosed.
The case sparked a national conversation about safe sport and toxic culture in men’s hockey. Adam van Koeverden, Canada’s secretary of sport, underscored that the voices of women and survivors have driven reforms.
All five players remain eligible to play in the National Hockey League, which operates under separate governance and conducted its own investigation. However, they cannot represent Canada internationally until the scheduled dates.
