WARNING: This article references alleged sexual assault. It may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone impacted by it.
After being acquitted by a judge in London, Ontario, in one of the more high-profile hockey cases in recent memory, the Hockey Canada five – Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote – should have a clearer picture regarding their possible futures in the NHL relatively soon, according to NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly.
The five former NHL players were ruled ineligible to return to the NHL while the league reviewed the findings of the case – a case in which all five players were acquitted on July 24, 2025, with McLeod also receiving an acquittal on a separate charge – that for being a party to the offence of sexual assault.
While the NHL Players’ Association has disagreed with the league’s decision to this point, the five players have remained suspended from all league activities and programming indefinitely.
Daly noted that the league does take “the matter very seriously,” adding that it’s because of this that the situation and the players’ futures remain under review.
As for the case, the acquittal came more than seven years after the original encounter that took place in a hotel room downtown London. The Crown has decided not to appeal the court’s decision to acquit the five players in what was a case that captivated the city of London, the hockey world and many Canadians around the country.
The case – while extremely polarizing amongst different circles – has pushed the conversation of hockey culture back to the forefront and was one of the major reasons for the revamping of Hockey Canada.
Related: Verdicts Reached – All 5 Found Not Guilty in Hockey Canada Trial
While most of the players haven’t been at the forefront of conversations regarding re-entering the NHL, Hart’s name has been brought up with a couple of teams – namely the Edmonton Oilers and, his former club, the Philadelphia Flyers.
That said, Flyers’ governor, Dan Hilferty, spoke at a news conference on Wednesday stating that the organization isn’t willing to comment on Hart or his status for the time being.
“At this point, we’re going to make no comment on that situation,” said Hilferty. “The NHL has made it clear they’ll speak first, and…
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