A lengthy suspension
The appeal board’s decision means Carter Hart will be barred from any Hockey Canada‑sanctioned competition until November 2027. The ruling stems from a breach of the organization’s code of conduct linked to an incident involving the 2018 national junior team, a case that has drawn significant public scrutiny.
Alongside Hart, teammates Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Dillon Dubé and Michael McLeod faced varying bans. Formenton was reinstated immediately, while Foote, Dubé and McLeod will remain suspended through November 2026, 2028 and 2030 respectively, reflecting the board’s assessment of each player’s conduct and role in the incident.
The suspensions come after the players were acquitted in July 2025 of a sexual assault charge related to a hotel room encounter in London, Ontario. Although the criminal court cleared them, Hockey Canada determined that the behavior still violated its internal standards, prompting the organization to adopt a stricter screening process for any future national‑team candidates from this cohort.
Hockey Canada’s enhanced vetting procedures will now apply to all players identified in the investigation, signaling a broader cultural shift within the federation. The move is intended to prevent similar breaches and to reinforce accountability among athletes representing the country on the international stage.