Player charged in 2018 World Junior case signs contract to play again
Michael McLeod was one of the guilty players involved in the 2018 World Junior assault case, and he has just signed a contract to go play in the KHL.
Reports began to surface a few weeks ago that Michael McLeod was getting another chance at resuming his hockey career, even though he was charged for the crime in 2018 that occurred after the World Junior Championships.
The other players involved in this case were Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton, who were all charged with one count, with McLeod being the only individual to also get charged with a second count in what was determined as being a party to the offence.
The incident is alleged to have happened right after a Hockey Canada soiree in the province of Ontario in June 2018, when players were being honoured for their win at the World Junior Championship.
In 2022, court documents were released where police in London, Ontario believed they had sufficient evidence to charge the five hockey players for committing this crime against a young woman in a hotel room.
All the teams that these accused players were on ended up cutting ties with them, and they will likely never get to play again in the NHL. Michael McLeod somehow found a team in the KHL willing to sign him, which is the Barys Astana in Russia.
All five players continue to maintain their innocence, as they all pleaded not guilty in court, refusing to admit to these potential crimes.
Players under heavy scrutiny in the NHL opt to go to Russia as there is less attention on them there, and they can focus more on playing the game. Several players of the past who were accused of crimes went over to Russia to continue their careers. Roughly one month ago, one of the accused players Dillon Dube agreed to a contract with the Dinamo Minsk in Russia
At the young age of 26, McLeod had his whole future ahead of him in the NHL, but sadly threw it all away. He was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the first round, 12th overall at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 287 games in the NHL, scoring 29 goals and adding 56 assists. He also accumulated 164 penalty minutes.
More on the 2018 World Juniors scandal:
Source: Hockey Feed
One of the accused players from the 2018 World Junior case signs new contract!
Source: HockeyDB
Michael McLeod Stats
| POLL | ||
Should Michael McLeod be banned from playing hockey all across the world? | ||
| Yes | 127 | 52.5 % |
| No | 115 | 47.5 % |
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