Aug 12 (Reuters) - An independent appeal board confirmed that five former players on Canada's 2018 world junior ice hockey team who were acquitted last year of sexual assault charges breached the Hockey Canada code of conduct, the governing body said on Wednesday.
Hockey Canada said it accepted the board's recommendations for continued suspensions and reinstatement dates for the five players, with only one eligible for immediate reinstatement.
In July 2025, Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube,
Carter Hart and Cal Foote were found not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room in 2018.
The charges against them stemmed from an encounter in a hotel room in the Canadian city of London after a Hockey Canada gala to celebrate the team's world junior championship victory.
Hockey Canada said Formenton has been reinstated immediately while Foote remains suspended until November 10, 2026.
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Hart is suspended until November 10, 2027 and St. Louis Blues forward Dube is suspended until November 10, 2028.
Michael McLeod will serve the longest suspension of the five players, until November 10, 2030.
The players had been formally suspended from Hockey Canada-sanctioned programs, pending the completion of the appeal process.
Hockey Canada said that all other players on the 2018 world junior team are eligible for consideration to participate in any Hockey Canada-sanctioned program, effective immediately.
"However, any player under consideration to play on a national team will be subject to Hockey Canada’s enhanced screening process, which will continue to include a third-party review of the findings regarding the 2018 National Junior Team before being eligible to represent Canada internationally," the governing body said.
(Reporting by Nicole Fernandes in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
