Hockey Canada announced Wednesday that an independent appeal board confirmed that five players from Canada’s 2018 World Junior hockey team breached the Hockey Canada code of conduct. The appeal board recommended staggered suspensions and reinstatement dates for the five players, which have been accepted by Hockey Canada: The five players were charged with sexual assault in connection with an alleged incident that occurred in June of 2018 in London, Ont. McLeod also faced a second charge of being a party to the offence. All were acquitted of the charges last July. As the independent investigation did not conclude that any other player on the 2018 National Junior Team breached Hockey Canada’s code of conduct, those players are eligible for consideration to participate in any Hockey Canada-sanctioned program, effective immediately. However, any player under consideration to play on a national team will be subject to Hockey Canada’s enhanced screening process, which will continue to include a third-party review of the findings regarding the 2018 National Junior Team before being eligible to represent Canada internationally. The National Hockey League reinstated the players as of Dec. 1, though only Hart played in the league last season. Foote and Dube spent the season in the American Hockey League, with Dube signing a one-year deal with the St. Louis Blues on July 1. McLeod is currently playing in Russia’s KHL, while Formenton spent last season playing in Switzerland. More details to follow.
