Hockey Canada updates suspension status for 2018 World Junior players

Hockey Canada announced an update on the status of the suspensions for the five players from the 2018 Canadian World Junior team who were involved in the sexual assault trial.

Hockey Canada had an independent appeal board looking into the cases of Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Michael McLeod since November 10, 2023, not in terms of the legality of their alleged actions, but to determine if they breached the Hockey Canada code of conduct. Ultimately, the board determined the five players did so, and recommended updated suspension and reinstatement dates, which Hockey Canada accepted.

The following updates have been made for the five players in question, with only Formenton being reinstated.

Alex Formenton: reinstated immediately
Cal Foote: suspended until November 10, 2026
Carter Hart: suspended until November 10, 2027
Dillon Dube: suspended until November 10, 2028
Michael McLeod: suspended until November 10, 2030

The suspensions will prevent the players from participating in Hockey Canada-sanctioned programs, including the Olympics, World Cup of Hockey and World Championship. Hockey Canada did not specify why certain players were suspended for as little or as long as they were.

This comes in the wake of the sexual assault trial being concluded last summer, with all five players found not guilty through acquittal due to a lack of credible or reliable evidence. They have since been reinstated in the NHL, as they were suspended while the trial was underway. Hart (Vegas Golden Knights) and Dube (St. Louis Blues) currently have NHL contracts signed. McLeod has another year on his current KHL contract, while Foote and Formenton are both unrestricted free agents.

With Hart being the biggest player of note in this group, it should also be noted that his suspension takes him until just three months before Hockey Canada’s next big international event, the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. Considering Canada’s lack of talent at the goaltending position, Hart is a possibility for the job.

Hockey Canada also mentioned that no other member of the 2018 World Junior team breached the code of conduct and will face suspension, and they are eligible for consideration for future Hockey Canada-sanctioned events. However, these players will be subject to enhanced screening process when they participate in future events, so that Hockey Canada can do their due diligence on them, but it will mostly just be a formality and will not prevent the players from playing. Cale Makar, Robert Thomas, Drake Batherson and Jordan Kyrou are the most notable names from the team who could participate in future Hockey Canada events.