Last week, the hockey world was rocked by news of five NHL players facing allegations and charges related to an incident involving the 2018 Canadian World Juniors team. Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Michael McLeod, and Cal Foote took indefinite leaves from their NHL teams, while Alex Formenton returned from Switzerland.
Now, the NHL has updated its official stance on how these players will impact their team rosters. According to Darren Dreger, all teams will receive salary cap relief for the charged players.
McLeod and Foote were both signed this offseason, despite the looming possibility of their involvement in the investigation, as teams were aware that the results would be revealed this year.
It's concerning that the NHL is offering financial relief to teams for contracts signed with players implicated in the investigation. Fortunately, none of the players in question have contracts beyond this season.
While it remains unclear if any teams were aware of their players' involvement in the investigation beforehand, the Ottawa Senators actions with Alex Formenton and reports of the Philadelphia Flyers attempting to trade Carter Hart suggest they may have had prior knowledge.
If confirmed, it's troubling that the NHL would provide contract bailouts, particularly for players like McLeod and Foote signed just this offseason.
