An independent appeal board has determined that five players from Canada’s 2018 world junior team, previously cleared of sexual assault charges last year, have violated the Hockey Canada code of conduct.
Hockey Canada announced on Wednesday that it has accepted the board’s recommendations regarding the ongoing suspensions and reinstatement timelines for Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, and Michael McLeod.
Although acquitted in July 2025 of sexual assault allegations related to an incident with a woman identified as “E.M.” at a 2018 Hockey Canada event in London, Ontario, celebrating the national junior team’s world championship victory, the three-member appeal board – John Laskin, Katherine Swinton, and Thomas McEwen – advised continued suspensions for four of the players.
Reinstatement dates vary among the players, with McLeod not eligible until November 10, 2030. Foote becomes eligible on November 10, while Hart and Dube will be eligible in 2027 and 2028, respectively. Formenton is immediately eligible for reinstatement.
Hockey Canada has made all other members of the 2018 team eligible for participation in sanctioned programs effective immediately.
The players under suspension had NHL careers prior to the legal issues and have been free to join NHL teams since October 15, with the ability to play since December 1.
Regarding the current whereabouts of the five players, Hart signed with the Vegas Golden Knights and contributed to their advancement to this year’s Stanley Cup final. Dube secured an NHL contract with St. Louis in July. McLeod played for the Omsk Avangard team in the Kontinental Hockey League last season. Foote was with the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves and had a contract with Farjestad BK terminated due to public backlash. Formenton has been playing in Switzerland for the past three seasons.
In 2022, revelations of Hockey Canada settling a lawsuit out of court prompted Canada’s former sport minister, Pascale St. Onge, to order a forensic audit to ensure public funds were not misused, leading to a freeze in federal funding for almost a year.
Current Secretary of Sport Adam van Koeverden acknowledged the board’s findings, emphasizing the breach of the Hockey Canada Code of Conduct by all five players. He highlighted the national dialogue on safe sport and cultural issues in men’s hockey initiated by this case, underscoring the importance of women’s voices and survivors in driving positive change.
Significant strides have been made by Hockey Canada since 2022 to address systemic shortcomings, including becoming a full signatory to the Canadian Safe Sport Program and committing to a transformative culture. The government remains vigilant in overseeing national sport organizations to ensure the implementation of measures that promote safety, respect, and integrity in sports.
