Acquitted player signs new deal, sparking hope for players cleared in WJC trial

On Wednesday morning, it was confirmed that Jake Virtanen is headed to Slovakia. The 28-year-old winger has signed a one-year deal with Dukla Michalovce, a team in the country’s top professional league. It’s the latest stop in a career that has become as much about what happened off the ice as on it.

A former sixth-overall pick by the Vancouver Canucks back in 2014, Virtanen never quite lived up to his first-round billing. He put up 100 points across 317 NHL games before the Canucks bought out his contract in 2021, following allegations of sexual assault. The case went to trial, and in 2022, he was found not guilty.

Since then, Virtanen has rebuilt his professional career overseas, with stops in Russia, Switzerland, and Germany. Last season, he recorded 19 points in 46 games with the DEL’s Iserlohn Roosters before now signing with Michalovce.

It’s a move that likely would’ve flown under the radar in any other context. But right now, Virtanen’s journey feels, intentionally or not, like a glimpse into the uncertain future facing five other Canadian players: Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, and Alex Formenton.

Earlier this month, all five were found not guilty of criminal charges stemming from a high-profile 2018 sexual assault investigation. While the NHL has maintained their ineligibility status for the time being, the resolution of the legal process does open the door for conversations about return and perhaps, redemption. After the NHLPA issued a strong response to the ban, saying that its players should “have the opportunity to return to work”, rumours immediately emerged on what could be next for the players.

Carter Hart has been linked to a few teams in the NHL, with the Edmonton Oilers reportedly having to clear the air about not wanting to sign the young goalie to a contract. However, he has now been linked to the Ottawa Senators.

While it sounds like former New Jersey Devils defenseman Cal Foote and former Ottawa Senators forward Alex Formenton won’t be resuming their NHL careers, there could be a chance for Hart, Michael McLeod and Dillon Dube.

Virtanen never returned to the NHL. But he did keep playing. That, in itself, may be telling and a glimmer of hope for the players after their acquittal.