After Carter Hart, another 2018 WJC acquitted player inches closer to NHL comeback

Months after Carter Hart returned to the NHL and immediately became one of the league’s most polarizing players, another former member of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team appears to be moving closer to a comeback of his own.

According to a recent report in The Athletic, there is growing belief around the league that Dillon Dubé could sign with the St. Louis Blues this summer and earn a spot on the club’s NHL roster.

Dubé, 27, has not played an NHL game since his time with the Calgary Flames. After the legal proceedings connected to the 2018 Hockey Canada case concluded with acquittals in 2025, Dubé continued his career overseas before returning to North America.

The former second-round pick spent part of the 2024-25 season in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk before joining the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Blues’ AHL affiliate, later in the year.

His performance in Springfield quickly turned heads. Dubé scored 20 goals and 37 points in 46 regular-season games, finishing among the team’s offensive leaders. He followed that up with eight points in 12 playoff games, further strengthening his case for another NHL opportunity.

Now, with Alexander Steen officially taking over hockey operations in St. Louis on July 1, league sources believe the Blues are strongly considering Dubé as a potential bottom-six option, possibly at center.

The hockey case for a return is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

What remains unclear is how fans would react. Hart’s return with the Vegas Golden Knights generated significant backlash in several markets throughout the season, including chants directed at him during the Stanley Cup Final.

If Dubé does sign with St. Louis in the coming weeks, the hockey story may only be part of the conversation.