NHL says five players acquitted of sexual assault ineligible while it conducts review

By Canadian Press on July 24, 2025.

The NHL says the five players acquitted of sexual assault in an encounter with a woman at a London, Ont., hotel room seven years ago are ineligible to play in the league while it reviews the judge’s findings.

Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote — members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team — were found not guilty of all charges, Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia ruled Thursday.

The NHL said in a statement the allegations in the case were disturbing, even if not determined criminal.

The league also called the behaviour at issue “unacceptable.”

McLeod, Hart, Dubé and Foote were active NHL players at the time of their 2024 arrests, which came days after all four players were granted leave from their clubs.

Formenton, an Ottawa Senators draft pick, has not played in the NHL since 2022.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.

The Canadian Press