Acquitted McLeod joins KHL's Avangard Omsk

Michael McLeod, 1 of 5 Hockey Canada players who were recovered not blameworthy of intersexual battle charges successful July, has signed a three-year declaration with Avangard Omsk of Russia's Kontinental Hockey League.

McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton and Carter Hart were members of Hockey Canada's 2018 National U-20 Junior Team. They were criminally charged successful aboriginal 2024 for an alleged incidental that took spot aft the 2018 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala successful London, Ontario. In July, Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia recovered the 5 players not blameworthy of intersexual assault. McLeod besides was acquitted of a abstracted complaint of being a enactment to the discourtesy of intersexual assault.

The NHL said astatine the clip that those players were ineligible to rejoin the league until reinstated done its ain investigation. The league announced successful September that the 5 players would beryllium eligible to play successful the NHL again opening connected Dec. 1.

"Taking into relationship that the players person been distant from the crippled for 20 months -- including since their acquittals successful July -- we person determined that the players volition beryllium eligible to motion an NHL declaration nary sooner than October 15, 2025, and eligible to play successful NHL games nary sooner than December 1, 2025, bringing their full clip retired of the League to astir 2 years," the NHL said successful a statement.

The NHLPA said it was "pleased [the players] volition person the accidental to resume" their NHL careers.

McLeod, 27, past played successful the NHL with the New Jersey Devils successful the 2023-24 season. He played 19 games with Omsk successful 2024-25, 1 of 2 KHL teams helium joined arsenic the Hockey Canada probe and ineligible process played out.

Avangard Omsk is coached by erstwhile Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators manager Guy Boucher.

Alexey Sopin, wide manager of Avangard Omsk, said via Telegram: "Negotiations with Michael and his representatives were brief. The subordinate everyone has been waiting for volition erstwhile again don the Hawks' uniform. We are precise pleased that this hard concern has ended positively for some america and the player."

There was speculation precocious that the Carolina Hurricanes were funny successful signing McLeod. That quality created contiguous backlash from Hurricanes fans, including a petition urging the squad to reconsider signing McLeod that had implicit 1,700 signatures. A woody with McLeod and Carolina ne'er materialized.

McLeod was drafted 12th wide successful 2016 by the Devils and had 85 points successful 287 vocation games. He was 1 of the team's apical antiaircraft forwards erstwhile helium and Foote were granted "indefinite leaves of absences from the team" connected Jan. 24, 2024. The players were charged with intersexual battle successful the pursuing month.

Of the remaining Hockey Canada players who are unsigned, aggregate reports person linked Hart, a erstwhile Philadelphia Flyers goaltender, with the Vegas Golden Knights.