An independent appeal panel has determined that five players from Canada’s 2018 world junior team, who were cleared of sexual assault charges last year, violated the Hockey Canada code of conduct.
Hockey Canada announced on Wednesday that it has agreed with the panel’s decision to uphold the suspensions and set reinstatement dates for Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, and Michael McLeod.
The players were acquitted in July 2025 in connection to allegations of sexual assault involving an incident with a woman identified as “E.M.” during a 2018 Hockey Canada event in London, Ont., commemorating the national junior team’s world championship victory.
However, a panel consisting of John Laskin, Katherine Swinton, and Thomas McEwen recommended ongoing suspensions from Hockey Canada programs for four of the players.
The reinstatement dates vary for each player, with McLeod eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 10, 2030. Foote will be eligible on the same date, while Hart and Dube will become eligible in 2027 and 2028, respectively.
Formenton is immediately eligible for reinstatement.
Hockey Canada has stated that all other members of the 2018 team are now eligible for potential participation in any Hockey Canada-sanctioned programs.
The suspended players, who had NHL careers prior to the charges, have been able to sign with NHL teams since Oct. 15 and have been allowed to play since Dec. 1.
Regarding the current whereabouts of the five players:
– Hart signed with the Vegas Golden Knights and contributed to their appearance in this year’s Stanley Cup final.
– Dube joined the NHL by signing with St. Louis on July 1.
– McLeod played for Omsk Avangard in the Kontinental Hockey League last season.
– Foote played for the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League last season and had a one-year deal with Farjestad BK terminated following criticism of the signing by the Swedish club.
– Formenton has been playing in Switzerland for the past three seasons.
In 2022, it was revealed that Hockey Canada settled a lawsuit with the woman outside of court. This led to a forensic audit ordered by Canada’s former sport minister, Pascale St. Onge, to ensure public funds were not used in the settlement, resulting in a freeze of federal funding to the organization for nearly a year.
Hockey Canada officials faced questioning by Members of Parliament at Parliament Hill on their handling of the situation.
Adam van Koeverden, the current Secretary of Sport for Canada, acknowledged the appeal board’s findings and emphasized the importance of holding national sport organizations accountable in implementing measures to prevent and address mistreatment.
He highlighted the progress made by Hockey Canada in addressing systemic issues and emphasized the importance of prioritizing safety and well-being in the sports system.
The government continues to monitor national sport organizations closely to ensure a culture of safety, respect, and integrity is maintained across all sports.