The National Hockey League (NHL) has decided on the five players recently cleared of sexual assault allegations.
In a statement on Thursday, the league announced that Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, and Dillon Dubé, will be permitted to sign contracts with NHL teams.
"Given their conduct, we carefully evaluated the players’ acquittal in court and the time spent away from the game," read the statement from the NHL. "Taking into account that the players have been away from the game for 20 months, including since their acquittals in July, we have determined that the players will be eligible to sign an NHL contract no sooner than October 15, 2025, and eligible to play in NHL games no sooner than December 1, 2025, bringing their total time out of the League to nearly two years."
The league, however, has not fully exonerated the players.
"Each of the players, based on in-person meetings with the League following the verdicts, expressed regret and remorse for his actions," read the statement. "Nevertheless, we believe their conduct requires formal League-imposed discipline."
The NHL did not specify what penalties the players might still face.
"The League expects and requires that, going forward, each of the players will uphold the standards required of NHL players both on and off the ice," the statement concluded.
The five players were found not guilty of sexual assault in a London court earlier this year, after a 2018 incident following a Hockey Canada gala celebrating the players' gold medals at the recent World Junior Hockey Championships.
The original investigation was conducted by London police, which closed it in 2019 without charges. The case was reopened in 2022 after word got out that the complainant had settled a lawsuit with Hockey Canada.
During the trial, the victim, known as E.M., testified that she went to a hotel room to have consensual sex with McLeod, but did not consent to sexual contact with any of the other accused. The defence, however, argued that she did consent.
In a statement of its own, the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) said it was pleased that the players will be allowed to resume play.
"The players cooperated with every investigation," read the statement from the NHLPA. "Upon their full acquittal by Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia, we initiated discussions with the NHL regarding the players’ return to work. To avoid a protracted dispute that would cause further delay, we reached the resolution that the league announced [Thursday]. We now consider the matter closed and look forward to the players’ return."
-with files from Scott Kitching