Hockey Canada has announced continued suspensions for four of the five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team who were acquitted of sexual assault charges last year.
Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote had been charged with sexual assault in connection with an alleged incident in June 2018, when a woman said she was sexually assaulted over several hours in a London, Ont., hotel room. The players were found not guilty on all charges in July 2025 following a months-long, highly publicized trial.
On Wednesday, Hockey Canada said an independent appeal board confirmed all five players breached the Hockey Canada code of conduct for their actions in 2018 and recommended formal suspensions from Hockey Canada-sanctioned programs, which the governing body accepted.
Formenton has been reinstated immediately, while the other four remain suspended: Foote until Nov. 10, 2026, Hart until Nov. 10, 2027, Dubé until Nov. 10, 2028, and McLeod until Nov. 10, 2030.
In its announcement, Hockey Canada did not explain the varying suspension lengths. The independent appeal board consisted of three former judges: John Laskin, Katherine Swinton and Thomas McEwen.
According to Hockey Canada, any player under consideration for a national team will be subject to an enhanced screening process, introduced in 2023 in the wake of the sexual assault charges, that includes a criminal records check and social media screening.
The NHL reinstated the players Dec. 1 but said in a September news release that their conduct fell “woefully short of the standards and values that the League and its Member Clubs expect and demand.”
Last season, only Hart played for an NHL club (the Vegas Golden Knights) after signing a two-year, $4 million contract. Dubé signed a free-agent contract with the St. Louis Blues on July 1 after playing for the Blues’ AHL affiliate in Springfield.
Last week, Swedish Hockey League team Färjestad BK terminated its contract with Foote, just two days after signing him to a one-year deal. Färjestad BK said in a statement that it initially conducted a “thorough review” of Foote through “several conversations with people with good insight into the matter,” before signing him last Tuesday. However, the club’s “overall perception and assessment” of Foote changed in the following days, leading them to end their association with Foote on Thursday.
McLeod has played in the KHL since 2024, mostly with his current Russian team, Avangard Omsk. Formenton played parts of two seasons for HC Ambrì-Piotta in Switzerland’s National League from 2022 to 2024. He did not play at all in the 2024-25 season but rejoined the team for its 2025-26 campaign.