Five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team—Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, and Michael McLeod—were acquitted of sexual assault charges in July 2025. The NHL reinstated all five players starting December 1, 2025, but Hockey Canada extended bans for three of them until November 2027 or later. Formenton recently signed a one-year contract worth $850,000 with the Edmonton Oilers, drawing backlash from some fans. Carter Hart returned to the NHL first and helped the Vegas Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup final in 2026.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-20,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In July 2025, five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team — Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, and Michael McLeod — were acquitted of sexual assault charges related to an encounter at a Hockey Canada gala in London, Ontario, in 2018. The NHL reinstated all five players on Dec. 1, 2025, allowing them to return to play professionally. However, Hockey Canada’s appeal board found that three of the players breached its code of conduct and extended their ban from national programs. Alex Formenton, at age 26, recently signed a one-year contract worth US$850,000 with the Edmonton Oilers on Sept. 9, 2025, after spending three seasons in Switzerland playing for HC Ambri-Piotta and another season out of hockey. His signing has sparked controversy, including an online petition demanding the Oilers reverse his contract and a protest held outside Rogers Arena.
Written for “Hockey Canada Scandal Acquittals” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team — Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote and Michael McLeod — were acquitted in July 2025 on sexual assault charges stemming from an encounter at a 2018 Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont.
asserted
members → acquit → London
Since then, the NHL has reinstated all five, allowing them to play beginning Dec. 1, 2025.
asserted
them → reinstate → Dec.
Hockey Canada’s appeal board later ruled all five breached the governing body’s code of conduct and extended its ban from national programs for three of the five.
asserted
five → rule → five
With Formenton recently signing a contract with the Edmonton Oilers, here’s a look at where the five players have landed since the trial ended.
asserted
trial → sign → Oilers
ALEX FORMENTON
The 26-year-old signed a one-year, US$850,000 contract with the Oilers on Sept. 9 after spending three of the previous four seasons in Switzerland with HC Ambri-Piotta and the other out of hockey.
asserted
old → sign → hockey
Formenton was the only player of the five made immediately eligible for reinstatement in Hockey Canada-sanctioned programs after the appeal-board ruling.
asserted
Formenton → make → ruling
His signing triggered a backlash in Edmonton, including an online petition calling on the club to reverse the deal and a protest outside Rogers Arena on Saturday, when the Oilers opened their pre-season schedule against visiting Winnipeg.
asserted
Oilers → trigger → Winnipeg
Get breaking National news
The Oilers have defended the move, citing Formenton’s acquittal, his reinstatements, and what the team called a “lengthy due diligence process.”
CARTER HART
asserted
team → get → what
The netminder was the first of the five to return to the NHL, signing a two-year, $4-million contract with the Vegas Golden Knights in October 2025.
asserted
netminder → return → October
He returned to action Dec. 2 and helped Vegas reach the 2026 Stanley Cup final with a 12-4 playoff record, a 2.22 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage leading into the title series against Carolina.
asserted
Vegas → return → Carolina
He remains suspended by Hockey Canada until Nov. 10, 2027.
DILLON DUBÉ
asserted
He → suspend → Nov.
The centre became the second of the five players to return to the NHL when he signed a one-year contract worth $850,000 with the St. Louis Blues on July 1.
asserted
he → become → July
Dubé signed the deal after agreeing to a professional tryout with the Springfield Thunderbirds, the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, in December.
asserted
Dubé → sign → December
He had 20 goals and 17 assists in 46 regular-season games with the Thunder, then added five goals and three assists in 12 playoff contests.
asserted
He → have → contests
He joined the organization after playing for Minsk Dynamo of the Russian-based Kontinental Hockey League in 2024-25.
asserted
He → join → 2024
Dubé remains suspended by Hockey Canada until Nov. 10, 2028.
asserted
Dubé → suspend → Nov.
Foote signed an AHL contract with the Chicago Wolves in December 2025, where the defenceman had four goals and 14 assists in 48 games.
asserted
defenceman → sign → games
He signed a one-year contract with Swedish club Farjestad BK in July, but the deal was rescinded two days later.
asserted
deal → sign → July
Foote is the next player eligible for reinstatement by Hockey Canada, with his suspension set to end on Nov. 10.
asserted
suspension → set → Nov.
The centre signed a three-year contract with Avangard Omsk of the KHL in October 2025.
asserted
centre → sign → October
McLeod previously split the 2024-25 KHL season between Omsk and Barys Astana.
asserted
McLeod → split → Omsk
He is the only one of the five not to play in North America since the trial ended.
asserted
trial → play → America
Hockey Canada imposed the longest ban on McLeod, making him ineligible for reinstatement until Nov. 10, 2030.
asserted
him → impose → Nov.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2026.
asserted
report → publish → Press
The Aporia
