Tomorrow, July 24, 2025, the results of the Hockey Canada trial will be announced.
The trial involves two former New Jersey Devils players, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote, along with three other members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior Hockey Team. The five players, McLeod, Carter Hart, Foote, Dillon Dubé, and Alex Formenton, have been on trial since 2022 and are set to receive the judge’s verdict on Thursday regarding the sexual assault case they are allegedly involved in.
Trial Recap
A woman, identified as E.M., accused eight members of the 2018 Hockey Canada World Junior team of sexually assaulting her after a fundraising gala in London, Ontario.
A relative of the victim reported the incident to London police in 2018, prompting an investigation. However, the case was initially closed without charges.
The case resurfaced in 2022 when the woman sued Hockey Canada for $3.55 million in damages. The organization quickly settled, but the settlement triggered a deeper investigation into Hockey Canada, revealing two secret funds used to pay settlements related to sexual assault and abuse.
Following the discovery, police charged five members of the 2018 team with sexual assault. All five players pleaded not guilty, with McLeod also facing a separate count of being a party to the offense. The trial began in 2022 and has gone on for three years. Out of all of the players, Carter Hart was the only defendant to testify in his own defense.
None of the five players have appeared in an NHL game since stepping away from their teams in 2022. After three years of legal proceedings, including a mistrial and the dismissal of the second jury, the verdict will now be rendered by Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia. Seven years after the alleged incident, the players will finally learn if they are found guilty or not guilty.
What Could This Mean?
At the time the charges were filed, McLeod was a power forward for the Devils, having played six seasons with the team after being drafted 12th overall in 2016. Known for his size and skill, he appeared in 45 games during the 2021-22 season before stepping away due to the trial.
Foote, a two-way defenseman, joined the Devils for the 2023-24 season but spent most of that year with the Utica Comets.
Since then, both players have taken their careers overseas, Foote with MHk 32 Liptovský Mikuláš in Slovakia’s Extraliga and McLeod with Avangard Omsk in the KHL.
It’s unlikely either will ever return to the Devils, though that decision may ultimately rest with the NHL.
If the players are found not guilty, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will determine whether they are allowed to return to the league. At the 2024 All-Star Weekend, Bettman told NHL.com:
"There is a serious judicial process that looks like it's unfolding and we didn't, while we were doing our investigation, want to interfere with what the London Police Service was doing and we're not going to do anything to interfere or influence the judicial proceedings. We're all going to have to see how that plays out, and we will then be in a position to respond appropriately, which we will do."
As of last season, Bettman had not ruled out the possibility of the accused players returning to the NHL.
That discussion, however, can only begin once the verdict is delivered. The two former Devils have already moved their careers overseas, as they await the news that will be released tomorrow, seven years after the alleged incident.
Photo Credit: © David Kirouac-Imagn Images