An independent appeal board has determined that five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team, who were previously cleared of sexual assault charges last year, violated the Hockey Canada code of conduct. Hockey Canada announced on Wednesday that it has accepted the board’s recommendations for continued suspensions and reinstatement dates for Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, and Michael McLeod.
The players were acquitted in July 2025 following allegations of sexual assault involving a woman referred to as “E.M.” during a 2018 Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont., celebrating the national junior team’s world championship victory. Despite the acquittal, a panel comprising John Laskin, Katherine Swinton, and Thomas McEwen advised maintaining suspensions from Hockey Canada-sanctioned programs for four of the players.
The dates for reinstatement vary among the players. McLeod’s eligibility for reinstatement is set for November 10, 2030, while Foote will be eligible on the same date. Hart and Dube are scheduled for reinstatement in 2027 and 2028, respectively. Formenton, on the other hand, is immediately eligible for reinstatement.
Hockey Canada has stated that all other members of the 2018 team can now be considered for participation in any Hockey Canada-sanctioned program. The suspended players, who had NHL careers before the accusations, have been able to sign with NHL teams since October 15 and have been eligible to play since December 1.
As for the current whereabouts of the players, Hart has signed with the Vegas Golden Knights and contributed to their appearance in this year’s Stanley Cup final. Dube secured an NHL contract with St. Louis on July 1. McLeod played for Omsk Avangard in the Kontinental Hockey League last season. Foote played with the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League and had a contract with Farjestad BK terminated due to public backlash. Formenton has been playing in Switzerland for the past three seasons.
Following the revelation in 2022 that Hockey Canada settled a lawsuit with the woman out of court, former sport minister Pascale St. Onge initiated a forensic audit to ensure public funds were not used in the settlement, resulting in the freeze of federal funding to the organization for nearly a year.
Accountability remains a top priority for Hockey Canada, with executives facing scrutiny from MPs on Parliament Hill over their handling of the situation. In response to the appeal board’s findings, current Secretary of Sport Adam van Koeverden acknowledged the breaches of the Hockey Canada Code of Conduct by all five players. He emphasized the importance of addressing toxic cultures in sports and commended the courage of women and survivors who spoke out, leading to positive changes within Hockey Canada.
Since 2022, Hockey Canada has made significant strides in addressing systemic failures, becoming a full signatory to the Canadian Safe Sport Program. The government continues to monitor national sport organizations closely to ensure the implementation of measures that prioritize safety, respect, and integrity across all sports.
