Michael McLeod signs contract with Russian team after being cleared
Hockey player Michael McLeod, one of the five members of the Hockey Canada team acquitted of sexual assault charges in July, has signed a three-year contract with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia. McLeod, along with Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, and Carter Hart, were part of Hockey Canada’s national junior under-20 team in 2018. The players were accused in early 2024 of an alleged incident that occurred after the 2018 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala in London, Ontario. In July, Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia found the five players not guilty of sexual assault. McLeod was also acquitted of a separate charge of being an accessory to the crime of sexual assault. The NHL announced in September that the five players would be eligible to return to play in the league starting December 1. “Considering that the players have been away from the game for 20 months, including those who have been since their acquittals in July, we have determined that the players will be eligible to sign an NHL contract no earlier than October 15, 2025, and eligible to play in NHL games no earlier than December 1, 2025, bringing their total time away from the League to almost two years,” the NHL stated in a statement. The NHLPA expressed its satisfaction that players have the opportunity to resume their careers in the NHL. McLeod, 27, last played in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils in the 2023-24 season. He played 19 games with Omsk in the 2024-25 season, one of the two KHL teams he joined while the Hockey Canada investigation and legal process were ongoing. The Avangard Omsk is coached by Guy Boucher, former coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Ottawa Senators.It was recently speculated that the Carolina Hurricanes were interested in signing McLeod. That news generated an immediate reaction from Hurricanes fans, including a petition urging the team to reconsider signing McLeod, which obtained more than 1,700 signatures. Ultimately, no agreement with McLeod and Carolina materialized. McLeod was selected 12th overall in 2016 by the Devils and totaled 85 points in 287 career games. He was one of the team’s most prominent defensive forwards when he and Foote were given “indefinite team leave” on January 24, 2024. The players were accused of sexual assault the following month. Of the remaining Hockey Canada players who have not signed, several reports have linked Hart, former Philadelphia Flyers goalie, with the Vegas Golden Knights.“The negotiations with Michael and his representatives were brief. The player everyone has been waiting for will once again wear the Hawks uniform. We are very happy that this difficult situation has ended positively for both us and the player,” declared Alexey Sopin, general director of Avangard Omsk, via Telegram.
Alexey Sopin
