Gary Bettman rules on the future of 2018 World Junior players who were found Not Guilty

Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia has rendered a verdict in the sexual assault trial for five members of team Canada's 2018 World Junior championships team.

Carroccia found former NHLers Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Alex Formenton, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote not guilty of sexual assault.

“Having found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of E.M. and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me,” Carroccia said earlier today.

“Having found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of E.M. and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me,” the judge said.

The verdict comes a full 15 months after the players were first charged with sexual assault by an unnamed woman who has had her identity protected by the court. Jurors and the public have heard the sordid details of what happened between the woman identified only as E.M. in court documents and the likes of Hart, Dube, Formenton, McLeod and Foote in a London, ON hotel room way back in June, 2018.

"I do not find the evidence of E.M. to be either credible or reliable. Crown cannot meet onus on any counts,” Carroccia said in court this morning. “In this case, I have found actual consent not vitiated by fear.”

The men will now turn the page on this chapter of their lives and, presumably, will seek to return to the world of professional hockey.

Just not so fast though, says NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

Bettman and the NHL released a statement concerning the five men, stating that they are not eligible to return to play. At least, not until reinstated by the league.

"We will be reviewing and considering the judge's findings," the statement read. "While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the league.”

This is, of course, pretty standard for the NHL but it's interesting to note that the NHLPA is taking issue with the league's stance. The NHLPA released a statement saying that it's their position that the players be able to reuturn to play immediately.

"Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, and Michael McLeod were acquitted of all charges by Justice Carroccia of the Ontario Superior Court," the NHLPA's statement read. "After missing more than a full season of their respective NHL careers, they should now have the opportunity to return to work. The NHL’s declaration that the Players are 'ineligible' to play pending its further analysis of the Court's findings is inconsistent with the discipline procedures set forth in the CBA.

"We are addressing this dispute with the League and will have no further comment at this time."

You have to imagine that that this likely means that at least one of the players is in negotiations with an NHL team. Stay tuned.