Not guilty is not the equivalent of innocence.

In a decision that has rocked the nation, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote were collectively acquitted last week on all sexual assault charges stemming from an incident dating back to June 2018.

Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia found the evidence of the alleged victim, E.M., was not credible or reliable.

While my Toronto Sun colleagues have gone to great lengths to provide play-by-play analysis of the trial, dissect the evidence, and report the decision, as a civil litigator and employment lawyer, my focus is on the path forward for these newly acquitted players.

Is there a professional career for any of them to return to?

Four of the five men charged were active NHL players at the time of their arrests in 2024. Each was granted a leave from their clubs after they were criminally charged.

Following the decision this week, the NHL said the five men would be ineligible to play while the league reviews the findings. The NHL described the evidence at trial to be “disturbing.”

The NHLPA, however, argues the players........

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