NHLPA issues strong response after NHL declares 2018 WJC players ineligible post-acquittal

In the wake of the not guilty verdicts in the controversial sexual assault trial involving five players from the 2018 Canadian World Junior hockey team, the NHL has declared the players currently ineligible to play in the league while it reviews the judge’s findings and decides on next steps. A few hours after the verdicts, the NHL said Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote would be ineligible to play. The players were found not guilty of all charges in an encounter with a woman in a hotel room seven years ago, Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia ruled. However, the NHL, in its statement, stated the allegations in the case were “very disturbing,” even if not deemed criminal. The league also called the behaviour of the players “unacceptable.

The NHLPA is now taking issues with the assessment from the league and responded that its players should “have the opportunity to return to work.” The Association evaluates the case does not align with the terms of their collective bargaining agreement.

“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.”

McLeod, Hart, Dubé and Foote were active NHL players at the time of their arrests in 2024, which came days after all four players were granted leave from their respective teams. Formenton, an Ottawa Senators draft pick, has not played in the NHL since 2022. All five were technically free agents or unsigned as of the verdict.

While Hart, Foote and Formenton did not play professionally during the 2024-25 season, McLeod and Dubé spent last season in the Kontinental Hockey League, playing for teams based in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

The NHL’s decision effectively blocks any team from signing them while the league completes its internal review. This is a significant step in a league often criticized for slow responses to off-ice misconduct.

More updates are expected in the coming weeks as the league determines how it will proceed, especially after the push back from the NHLPA.