Cal Foote has officially inked a contract with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League, marking the fourth player among the five individuals acquitted of sexual assault charges in the highly publicized trial involving members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team to secure a new career opportunity. The agreement with the soon-to-be 27-year-old defenseman was confirmed by the team on Monday. Carter Hart, the goaltender, had previously signed with the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights in mid-October as soon as the contract eligibility window opened for the players.
In a similar vein, forward Michael McLeod, who was absolved of an additional charge related to the offense of sexual assault, finalized a three-year deal with Avangard Omsk in the KHL back in October. McLeod had already played for the team last season, having initially joined the Russia-based league with Barys Astana in Kazakhstan. Alex Formenton has been competing for HC Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss Hockey League since 2022 after not being re-signed by the Ottawa Senators.
Meanwhile, Dillon Dube spent the 2024-25 season with Dinamo Minsk in the KHL in Belarus, but the 27-year-old winger has not participated in any games this season. All the players, with the exception of Formenton, were playing in the NHL when they were accused in early 2024 in connection to an incident in London, Ont., dating back to 2018. Following the charges, their respective teams at the time – New Jersey for Foote and McLeod, Philadelphia for Hart, and Calgary for Dube – did not extend qualifying offers to them, leading to their free agency.
In September, the league announced the players’ eligibility to sign contracts starting on October 15 and to commence playing on December 1. Hart could potentially make his debut for Vegas as early as the upcoming Tuesday.
