Two former NHLers charged in sex assault case, including one from Mississauga, sign with Russian league teams

Two of the five former Team Canada world junior hockey players awaiting trial for an alleged group sexual assault in 2018 have signed contracts with teams in the Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League, according to the league.

Dillon Dube is listed on the roster for Belarus-based Dinamo Minsk as being under contract through May 31, 2025, while Kazakhstan-based Astana Barys announced Friday that Michael McLeod, a Mississauga native, has signed a one-year deal with the team.

Dube, McLeod, Carter Hart, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were charged earlier this year in connection with an alleged sexual assault at a London, Ont. hotel in 2018.

They are all charged with sexual assault, though McLeod also faces an additional charge of sexual assault for “being a party to the offence.”

The case is due back in court on Aug. 13 to potentially set a date for trial.

McLeod played with the New Jersey Devils last season while Dube, of Golden, B.C., played for the Calgary Flames. Both were granted leaves of absence in January and had their contracts expire at the end of the season.

— This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2024