Mar 25, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Cal Foote (52) stretches before the game against the Seattle Kraken at Bridgestone Arena. Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images On Thursday, the NHL released a statement [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/reports-nhl-to-reinstate-players-acquitted-in-hockey-canada-sexual-assault-trial]concerning the five players who were found not guilty in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial this summer. Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, and Michael McLeod were each members of Hockey Canada’s 2018 National U-20 Junior Team. According to the statement, all five players will be eligible to sign an NHL contract no sooner than Oct. 15, 2025, and eligible to play in NHL games no sooner than Dec. 1, 2025. “Taking into account that the players have been away from the game for 20 months – including since their acquittals in July -- we have determined that the players will be eligible to sign an NHL contract no sooner than October 15, 2025, and eligible to play in NHL games no sooner than December 1, 2025, bringing their total time out of the League to nearly two years,” the statement said. Foote, who was originally drafted in the first round (14th overall) by the Tampa Bay Lightning [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning]in the 2017 NHL Draft, played for the Predators during the 2022-23 season. In 24 games with the club, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound right-shot defenseman totaled a goal and three assists for four points. In 145 NHL games across four seasons with the Lightning, Predators and New Jersey Devils [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils], Foote recorded 20 points (5-15-20). He played in Slovakia during the 2024-25 season. Upon learning of the allegations in May 2022, the NHL commenced a third-party investigation into the conduct of the five players involved. At the trial, Justice Maria Carroccia found the players not guilty of sexual assault in Ontario Superior Court in London, Ont., on July 24. McLeod was also found not guilty of one count of being a party to the offense. “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 statement said. “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 NHL said it had in-person meetings with each of the acquitted men following the verdicts and acknowledged they expressed regret and remorse for their actions. The Hockey News Store The Hockey News Store Online store to purchase subscriptions, single issues, special issues and products from The Hockey News [https://thehockeynews.store/?_gl=1*17geuxi*_ga*MTIwMzQ5NjgyNS4xNzUwNzI0NDQz*_ga_ZET34ZFCGX*czE3NTc2MTgwNTIkbzE3OSRnMSR0MTc1NzYxODQ3NCRqNjAkbDAkaDA.]
