There has been no change to the NHL rights of four players charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault, Sportsnet can confirm.
As a result, Dillon Dubé of the Calgary Flames, Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers and Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils became UFAs on Sunday after they did not receive a qualifying offer from their respective teams by 5 p.m. ET.
The news was first reported by The Athletic‘s Chris Johnston.
According to Johnston, “there were discussions between the NHL and NHLPA about potentially changing how the status of those players was treated while the legal process played out, but they ultimately decided against taking that action.”
The sexual assault case involving five former members of Canada’s world junior hockey team is set to return to court in August to potentially set a date for trial.
A judicial pretrial, which is closed to the public, is planned for July, and some hearings have also been scheduled for September.
The five players — Dubé, Hart, McLeod, Foote and former NHLer Alex Formenton — were charged earlier this year in connection with an alleged sexual assault at a London, Ont., hotel in 2018.
They are all charged with sexual assault, though McLeod also faces an additional charge of sexual assault for “being a party to the offence.”
The players have chosen to be tried before a judge and jury.
— with files from the Canadian Press