According to a CBC ReportSuperior Court Judge Bruce Thomas has granted former NHL players Michael McLeod, Cal Foote, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton and Dillon Dube the ability to skip pretrial arguments.
The charges relate to an alleged sexual assault of a woman at a Hockey Canada gala on June 19, 2018.
When the charges were filed, McLeod and Foote were members of the New Jersey DevilsDube and Hart played for the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers, respectively. Formenton has already left the NHL because he was playing overseas in Switzerland.
The five former NHL players are now allowed to skip pre-trial arguments to focus on finding work to pay their legal fees.
“The applicants have filed an affidavit in which they acknowledge the importance of the proceedings and waive the need to attend the hearings.” Thomas wrote“It is clear that each of the applicants needs to work or find work not only to support themselves but to pay their expenses, which at this time include legal fees.”
McLeod and Dube have already signed with the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The former Devils centre is a member of Barys Astana, where his teammates include Will Butcher and Chase De Leo, who also played in New Jersey.
Foote and Hart will not play, but said they are training in Denver and Alberta, respectively. Formenton has “left his hockey career behind” and is working in construction in Barrie, Ontario.
This is still a developing story and more details will be available soon.
