"Teams will shy away" - Lawyer underlines how NHL teams are likely to proceed with Hockey Canada trial players after being reinstated

Lawyer Greg Gilhooly said NHL teams will treat the accused former 2018 Hockey Canada players differently after their acquittals. The five players involved in the sexual assault case were Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton and Michael McLeod. And they have finally received a nod from the league to resume their NHL career.

Gilhooly explained that teams may sign Hart, but the other four players are going to find it challenging to make a comeback.

"I think what's going to happen here is," Gilhooly said, via Sportsnet on Thursday. "That there are going to be different amounts of justice and retribution meting out depending upon how good a hockey player you are.

"Carter Hart will be signed, and he will play, and teams will take some abuse for it. The team that signs him will take some abuse for it, but he's a good player, and so teams will take that risk. For other marginal players, teams will shy away."

The trial for the five Hockey Canada players ended on July 24 in London, Ontario. It lasted two months before Justice Maria Carroccia gave her ruling. All five players had pleaded not guilty in 2024, and the acquittal meant they were cleared to return.

But the NHL took its time to review the court verdict and the charges separately. After over one and a half months, they released a statement on Wednesday about their final decision:

"Each of the players, based on in-person meetings with the League following the verdicts, expressed regret and remorse for his actions. Nevertheless, we believe their conduct requires formal League-imposed discipline."

So, as a discipline, they cannot sign until Oct. 15. Furthermore, they also cannot play until Dec. 1. This way, the decision keeps them out of hockey for nearly two years.

Chris Johnston and Michael Russo also said Hockey Canada players' future will depend on individual teams

In late July, The Athletic’s Chris Johnston and Michael Russo said acquittals do not guarantee NHL returns for the Hockey Canada players. They said it's still up to the individual teams to sign the players.

"Being exonerated would not be enough on its own to clear a path for those players to return to the league, certainly not immediately, and perhaps not ever," Johnston and Russo wrote on July 25. "Ultimately, it’s still possible the decision will be made by individual teams."

As things stand for now, each Hockey Canada player's case will be judged separately by interested teams.