CHICAGO – Cal Foote has signed a contract in the American Hockey League with the Chicago Wolves, marking a significant step in his career. Foote is the fourth of five players cleared of sexual assault charges in a high-profile case involving members of the Canadian junior hockey team in 2018.
The agreement with the defender, who will turn 27 soon, was announced on Monday by the team. This move follows that of Carter Hart, who 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.
Michael McLeod, also found not guilty of an additional charge of being an accomplice to sexual assault, signed a three-year contract with Avangard Omsk of the KHL in October. McLeod had already played for the club last season, after having originally signed with Barys Astana in Kazakhstan, in the Russia-based league.
Alex Formenton has been playing for HC Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss Hockey League since 2022, after the Ottawa Senators chose not to re-sign him.
Dillon Dube played the 2024-25 season with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL in Belarus, but the 27-year-old winger has not played this season.
All the 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, making them 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 make his Vegas debut as early as Tuesday.
