Former Flyers goaltender Carter Hart and four other players involved in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial will be reinstated by the NHL.
The league announced Thursday that Hart, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton and Michael McLeod will be permitted to sign with any NHL club starting Oct. 15 and eligible to play starting Dec. 1.
On July 24, the players were found not guilty almost a year and a half after being charged with sexual assault, stemming from a June 2018 incident in London, Ontario.
As part of a long statement, the NHL released the following Thursday:
“The events that transpired after the 2018 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala in London, Ontario, prior to these players’ arrival in the NHL, were deeply troubling and unacceptable. The league expects everyone connected with the game to conduct themselves with the highest level of moral integrity. And, in this case, while found not to have been criminal, the conduct of the players involved certainly did not meet that standard.”
The NHLPA released the following statement:
“We are pleased that Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Michael McLeod will have the opportunity to resume their NHL careers. The players cooperated with every investigation. Upon their full acquittal by Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia, we initiated discussions with the NHL regarding the players’ return to work. To avoid a protracted dispute that would cause further delay, we reached the resolution that the league announced today. We now consider the matter closed and look forward to the players’ return.”
The Flyers cut ties with Hart in June 2024 when they didn’t issue him a qualifying offer, turning his restricted free-agent status into unrestricted. He had been away from the team since January 2024 after being granted an indefinite leave of absence.
At a press conference Wednesday, when asked about potentially bringing back Hart, the Flyers declined comment and deferred to the league’s process.
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