ST LOUIS, MISSOURI – JANUARY 15: Carter Hart #79 of the Philadelphia Flyers takes a drink during a game against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center on January 15, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
Following an extensive press conference from the London, Ont. Police on Monday — The National Hockey League and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman have granted the three NHL clubs cap relief for their players’ involvement in the 2018 World Junior criminal investigation, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports.
Ryan Pike of Flames Nation reports the players on leave will come off the books for the “impacted clubs,” as cap relief.
TSN’s Rick Westhead reported that four NHLers – Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube & Cal Foote – have been publicly directed to surrender to London police to be charged with sexual assault in connection with an alleged incident that occurred during a 2018 Hockey Canada event.
In response to the news, General Manager Daniel Briere and the club moved Hart to non-roster on February 1. The Flyers currently sit at 22/23 roster spots available, CapFriendly.com reported.
According to section 16.12 of the NHL collective bargaining agreement, “a Player who is unavailable to play due to reasons other than injury, illness or disability will be designated a Non-Roster Player, and during such period of his designation as such he will not count against the Club’s Active Roster limit and his Club may replace such Player, provided, however, that the Non-Roster Player’s Player Salary and Bonuses and his replacement’s Player Salary and Bonuses are each included in calculating a Club’s Actual Club Salary and Averaged Club Salary, and the Players’ Share.”
Hockey Canada says all players from that team remain suspended from international competition under its umbrella. Next year’s Four Nations Faceoff will not apply, as it is an NHL/NHLPA event.
The five individuals’ defence counsels and the London, Ont. Police have confirmed they have been charged with at least one count of sexual assault. Following booking and processing by the London Police Service, each defendant was released on undertaking. A preliminary Court hearing was conducted via Zoom a few hours before the LPS press conference.
A trial for the investigation isn’t expected to happen before 2026, which adds almost another two years to an already six-year-long legal issue.
The next hearing date for the five gentlemen is scheduled for April 30, 2024, at which lawyers will discuss and review the disclosure in the case, TSN’s Rick Westhead reported.
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