Hurricanes' Jordan Staal delivers a statement in support of players' rejoining NHL after Hockey Canada sexual assault case acquittal

Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal recently weighed in on the return of five players acquitted in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case—Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, and Alex Formenton.

The players mentioned above were acquitted in July by Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia after an eight-week trial. They are eligible to sign NHL contracts starting October 15 and can play in games beginning December 1.

In an interview with The Athletic's Mark Lazerus on Thursday, Jordan Staal stated that the players have been through the whole thing and came out acquitted, adding that he's sure all of them regret what went on and what happened.

"Everyone makes mistakes, including myself,” Staal said. “As an 18-year-old kid, I’ve done some stupid stuff. I went to jail. I had to go through a lot of crap because of it, and it wasn’t fun. I had to go through some crappy times, but I owned it.”

He added:

“Media guys all want a little piece of them, and everyone wants to write their own little snippet and not miss out on the juicy stuff,” he said. “That’s part of making mistakes, too.

Jordan Staal's comments come amid rumors that the Carolina Hurricanes could sign Michael McLeod and possibly Carter Hart, though no deals have been announced yet.

Rod Brind'Amour opens up about rumors linking Michael McLeod and Carter Hart to the Hurricanes

Rod Brind'Amour, the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, addressed rumors about the team potentially signing Michael McLeod or Carter Hart. Dismissing the rumors, he said:

"Obviously, that’s news to me,” Brind’Amour said. “Rumors are rumors. Every time there’s a player out there, they always say that our team’s involved. I haven’t given it much thought, but any player that comes here would be welcomed with open arms.

That’s the only reason we’re bringing someone into this family. You’ve got to treat them like that. You’re talking about a hypothetical, but that’s how I would approach it. That’s on the player. It does nothing for me.”

McLeod was drafted No. 12 overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2016 NHL Draft. The 27-year-old has amassed 85 points through 29 goals and 56 assists in 287 career games.