One of the accused players from the 2018 World Junior case gets new contract!

Earlier in January 2024, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were each charged with one count of sexual assault in the 2018 World Junior alleged sexual assault. It’s alleged the incident occurred following a Hockey Canada gala in Ontario in June 2018, when the players were honoured for their championship victory. Court documents from 2022 revealed London police had reasonable grounds to accuse five players of sexually assaulting a young woman in a hotel room that night. Since then, respective teams have cut ties with the players, however, one of them is getting a shot at a new deal.

It has recently been reported that former Calgary Flames forward Dillion Dube is signing a one-year deal worth $600K USD with Dimano Minsk (KHL).

This is not the first report that one of the accused men is getting a chance at resuming his professional career. Last week, it was reported that McLeod, who has the additional charge of being party to the offence in that same case, was in discussions with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL in Russia about the possibility of joining the club.

It’s a well-known fact that clubs in Russia have much less scruples when it comes to hiring players with a criminal past or who are accused of crimes in North America.

All five players, including Dube and McLeod, have defended their innocence through their lawyers, as their clients eventually pleaded not guilty.

The five players were offered qualifying offers by their respective clubs this past weekend and have therefore become unrestricted free agents and are eligible to sign with a team of their choice.

Though, the future does not look bright in the NHL for them, and they might all have to do like Dube and look to the KHL to keep playing.

Do you think it’s fair that an accused player like Dube gets to keep playing while the case is pending?