Hockey Canada bans four acquitted players from international play
Four Canadian ice hockey players will remain suspended from international competition despite being acquitted of sexual assault, after an independent appeals board found they breached Hockey Canada’s code of conduct.
Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Carter Hart remain barred from representing the national team for varying lengths of time.
A fifth member of the 2018 under-20s squad, Alex Formenton, was also found to have broken conduct rules but has been granted immediate reinstatement.
All five men were found not guilty of sexual assault during a highly publicised trial in July 2025.
Differing suspension terms
While Formenton is clear to return to the international stage, his former team-mates face extended periods on the sidelines.
Foote will become eligible for selection on 10 November this year.
Hart and Dube must wait until the same date in 2027 and 2028 respectively.
McLeod faces the harshest sporting penalty, with his suspension from Hockey Canada-sanctioned programmes lasting until November 2030.
Officials have not publicly disclosed why the reinstatement dates differ so significantly among the group.
NHL eligibility unaffected
This independent ruling has no bearing on the players’ club careers within the National Hockey League.
Operating under a completely separate authority, the NHL conducted its own investigation and cleared all five athletes to sign new contracts late last year.
The original allegations stemmed from an incident in a London, Ontario hotel room following a gala event eight years ago.
During the summer trial, Justice Maria Carroccia acquitted the group after stating she did not find the complainant’s evidence to be credible or reliable.
National conversation on hockey culture
Defence lawyers successfully argued that the players believed the woman had given consent to the encounters.
Despite the legal acquittal, the historic case continues to resonate deeply across the North American nation.
“This case started a national conversation about safe sport and the problematic culture in men’s hockey.”