Four Canadian hockey players were not reinstated to the national team despite their explanations
Four former players on Canada’s national junior team were barred from returning to international tournaments organized by Hockey Canada, even though they were acquitted in a criminal case involving sexual assault. An independent appeals panel ruled that Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, and Carter Hart violated the hockey organization’s internal rules.
The four former players on Canada’s junior national team will not be able to participate in tournaments and programs organized by Hockey Canada for the time being. This decision was made by an independent appeals committee. It concluded that Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Kel Foote, and Carter Hart violated the Canadian hockey organization’s code of conduct.
Another player involved in the case, Alex Formenton, was also found guilty of violating the rules. However, his suspension was not extended. He may return to Hockey Canada programs immediately. The other four players were given varying suspension periods:
- Kel Foote will be eligible to return on November 10, 2026;
- Carter Hart—November 10, 2027;
- Dillon Dubé—November 10, 2028;
- Michael McLeod—only on November 10, 2030.
Hockey Canada did not explain why different suspension periods were set for each player.
An important point about the NHL
Hockey Canada’s decision does not prohibit players from competing in the National Hockey League. The NHL conducts its own disciplinary proceedings, separate from the Canadian federation. Back at the end of last year, the league allowed all five players to sign contracts with clubs again. Therefore, the suspension applies specifically to participation in international tournaments and programs under the jurisdiction of Hockey Canada.
What the Criminal Case Was About
The criminal case itself concerned events that took place in 2018 in London, Ontario. The five hockey players were accused of sexually assaulting a woman identified in court documents as EM. According to the version of events presented in court, the woman met the players at a bar. She later voluntarily went to a hotel room and engaged in sexual activity with McLeod.
After that, the other hockey players entered the room. The main issue in court was whether EM consented to all subsequent sexual acts. The woman stated that she was intoxicated, afraid of the men, and had only consented to the initial contact with McLeod. The defense, however, argued that the woman herself initiated further interaction, and the players believed she had voluntarily consented to sexual contact.
How the trial ended
In July 2025, Judge Maria Carroccia acquitted all five hockey players. The judge stated that she did not consider EM’s testimony sufficiently “credible or reliable” to warrant a guilty verdict.
Thus, the criminal case ended with the acquittal of all five players. But that was not the end of the story for Canadian hockey. The case sparked a broad debate about the culture in men’s sports, the behavior of athletes, and how sports organizations should respond to allegations of sexual assault.
The case led to changes in Canadian sports
Following the appeals committee’s decision, Canada’s Secretary of State for Sport, Adam van Kooverden, stated that this story had sparked a serious conversation about safety in sports. “This case sparked a nationwide discussion about safety in sports and the problematic culture in men’s hockey,” he said. According to van Kooverden, women and survivors of abuse who had the courage to speak publicly about their experiences played a crucial role in this discussion. He noted that their testimonies helped draw attention to the “toxic culture” in sports.
The secretary of state also stated that Hockey Canada has already taken certain steps to address “long-standing systemic issues.” At the same time, he said, national sports organizations must be held accountable for their own rules and standards of conduct. Thus, criminal liability and sports discipline in this case are two separate processes. The court did not find the hockey players guilty of a criminal offense, but an independent commission of Hockey Canada concluded that four of them had violated the organization’s internal rules. This was reported by the BBC.
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