CHICAGO – Cal Foote has signed a contract in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Chicago Wolves, becoming the fourth of the five players acquitted of sexual assault charges in a high-profile case to continue his professional career.
The team announced the agreement with the defenseman, who will soon turn 27, on Monday. Goaltender Carter Hart signed with the Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL in mid-October, just after the deadline opened for players to be eligible for new contracts.
Forward Michael McLeod, who was also found not guilty of an additional charge of being an accessory to the crime of sexual assault, signed a three-year contract with Avangard Omsk of the KHL in October. McLeod also played for the club last season, after originally signing in the Russia-based league with Barys Astana in Kazakhstan.
Alex Formenton has played for HC Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss Hockey League since 2022, after the Ottawa Senators chose not to re-sign him.
Dillon Dube spent the 2024-25 season with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL in Belarus, but the 27-year-old winger has not played this season.
All players, except Formenton, were in the NHL when they were accused in early 2024 in relation to an incident that occurred in London, Ontario, in 2018. Foote and McLeod were with New Jersey, Hart with Philadelphia, and Dube with Calgary.
Those teams didn’t extend qualifying offers to the players that summer, and they became free agents. The league announced in September that they would be eligible to sign on October 15 and play on December 1, and Hart could debut with Vegas as early as Tuesday.
