The first day for the reinstated former Canadian World Juniors players to sign an NHL contract isn’t going to see any of them officially land a new job, per league sources.

While the league ruled last month that teams wouldn’t be able to formally register a new contract for Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube or Cal Foote until Oct. 15, there was a provision in the NHL’s decision on their status that allowed the players to sign deals as of Oct. 1, Wednesday, to get going on the visa process and make relocation arrangements.

Hart, McLeod, Dube and Foote are currently unrestricted free agents, while Alex Formenton — the fifth player involved in an alleged sexual assault in June 2018 — continues to have his NHL rights controlled by the Ottawa Senators, who have already announced publicly that they won’t be signing him to a deal.

None of the players has appeared in an NHL game since January 2024, before sexual assault charges were brought against them in London, Ont., for an incident after a Hockey Canada Gala held in the city. They were reinstated by the league after an eight-week trial ended with them being found not guilty by Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia, who ruled on July 24 that she did not find the complainant, identified as E.M., to be “credible or reliable” and that she found “actual consent” in her encounter with the players.

With their path back to the NHL cleared — they’re permitted to participate in team activities as of Oct. 15 and appear in game as of Dec. 1, after signing a contract — each needs to find a team willing to bring him into the fold while enduring potential backlash from fans and/or sponsors.

Hart appears closest to signing a contract, with the Vegas Golden Knights almost certain to be the eventual destination for the 27-year-old goaltender, according to league sources. Hart received interest from multiple NHL teams and is drawn to the opportunity to play for a contender in a situation where he’d likely end up sharing the crease with Adin Hill.

As for the timing of when a free-agent deal might come together, it’s worth noting that Oct. 1 is a somber day for the organization as it marks the anniversary of the 2017 mass killing of 58 people on the Las Vegas Strip.

Things are a little murky when it comes to the other players. There were reports last month that McLeod would sign with the Carolina Hurricanes, but this week, a league source cautioned against viewing that as a done deal in light of the pushback the organization has received since word of their interest leaked.

While members of the team raised no issue with the possibility of bringing in one of the players — “Those guys have been through the whole thing and came out acquitted,” Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal told The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus recently. “I’m sure all of them regret what went on and what happened but are moving forward and moving on” — more than 1,600 fans had signed a petition against a possible move as of Wednesday.

McLeod is a bottom-six center who last had 10 goals and nine assists in 45 games with the New Jersey Devils in 2023-24.

Dube twice had 18-goal seasons as a forward for the Calgary Flames, but he produced only three goals and seven points in 43 games in 2023-24. He has drawn renewed interest from NHL teams, according to league sources, but it’s not clear how serious it is.

Foote is a right-shot defenseman who bounced between the AHL and NHL during his most recent season in North America and played in Slovakia prior to the start of the sexual assault trial in the fall.

Formenton, meanwhile, signed a contract with HC Ambrì-Piotta that runs through December and has no points in six games played for the Swiss club this season. As a restricted free agent, he would need to have his rights traded by the Senators to a new club and sign a new contract by 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 1 to be eligible to play games during the 2025-26 NHL season.

(Photo of Carter Hart: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)