An independent report into five players from the 2018 Canada World Junior team has found that they breached Hockey Canada's code of conduct. The ruling keeps four of the players suspended from the organisation's sanctioned events, while a fifth has been cleared to return. It marks a significant step in a long-running case that has cast a shadow over one of Canadian hockey's most celebrated teams.
The five players had been accused of sexual assault following a Hockey Canada event at a hotel in London, Ontario, in 2018. That case went to trial, and the players were acquitted last year. The new decision is separate from the criminal proceedings, focusing instead on whether their conduct violated the standards set out in Hockey Canada's own code.
According to the findings, the players did breach that code of conduct. However, many of the details of the report remain confidential. Exactly how the code was breached has not been made clear, leaving the specifics of the conduct attributed to each player out of public view even as the consequences were announced.
For one of the players, the ruling brought an immediate end to his suspension. Hockey Canada said Alex Formenton will be reinstated effective immediately, allowing him to return to the organisation's sanctioned events without further delay. His case stood apart from the other four, who continue to face bans of varying lengths.
The remaining suspensions stretch out over several years. Cal Foote remains suspended until November of this year, while Carter Hart is suspended until November of next year. The staggered timelines mean the players will return to eligibility at very different points, rather than all at once.
The longest bans fall on two other players. Dillon Dube is suspended until November 2028, and Michael McLeod will not be available to play in Hockey Canada's sanctioned events until November 2030. That leaves McLeod facing the most extended period away, more than four additional years before he is eligible to return.
Much about the case remains shielded from public scrutiny. With many details of the report kept confidential and the nature of the breaches unexplained, it is not clear why the suspensions vary so widely, from immediate reinstatement for Formenton to a ban lasting until 2030 for McLeod. Hockey Canada's decision nonetheless draws a line under the internal disciplinary side of a case that has drawn national attention.
