NHL: Acquitted Hockey Canada players can return in Dec. - ESPN

Five former Hockey Canada players who were found not guilty of sexual assault charges in July will be suspended to start the 2025-26 NHL season but eligible to return to play Dec. 1, the league announced Thursday.

Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Michael McLeod were members of Hockey Canada's 2018 National U-20 Junior Team. They were criminally charged in early 2024 for an alleged incident that took place after the 2018 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala in London, Ontario.

In July, Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia found the five players not guilty of sexual assault. McLeod also was acquitted of a separate charge of being a party to the offense of sexual assault.

The NHL said at the time that the players were ineligible to play until reinstated. The NHL and NHLPA jointly negotiated the players' eligibility for this season.

At the time of the charges, four of the players were active in the NHL and went on indefinite leave: Dubé was a forward with the Calgary Flames; Hart was the starting goalie for the Philadelphia Flyers; and McLeod (center) and Foote (defenseman) were members of the New Jersey Devils organization.

All five are currently NHL free agents and can sign contracts beginning Oct. 15.

«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 NHL said in a statement.

The NHLPA said it was «pleased [the players] will have the opportunity to resume» their NHL careers. «The