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Hockey Canada Accepts Panel Finding, Reinstates One Player and Extends Suspensions for Four

The ruling highlights that an organizational code can punish players cleared in criminal court by blocking them from national-team roles while leaving NHL eligibility intact.

From left to right: Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart.
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Members of Canada's 2018 world junior team are pictured during the tournament on January 5, 2018 in Bufallo, New York. An independent appeal board has ruled that five players breached Hockey Canada's code of conduct.
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Overview

  • Hockey Canada announced on Wednesday that an independent three-judge appeal board found five members of the 2018 World Junior team breached the organization’s code of conduct and that it accepted the board’s recommendations.
  • Alex Formenton was reinstated immediately while Cal Foote, Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé and Michael McLeod were given staggered suspension end dates of Nov. 10, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2030 respectively.
  • The five players were acquitted in a July 2025 judge-alone criminal trial in London, Ontario, a reminder that legal not-guilty findings do not prevent separate administrative discipline.
  • Hockey Canada’s sanctions bar the players from Hockey Canada–sanctioned programs such as national teams, coaching and volunteering but do not control NHL contracts or league eligibility, which were restored after the acquittals.
  • The decision prompted practical and reputational consequences for clubs and for Hockey Canada’s governance because the body said other 2018 teammates are eligible for selection but will face enhanced screening before any future national-team roles.