Third Hockey Canada Trial Defendant Signs U.S. Pro Deal

A third player involved in this summer’s high-profile Hockey Canada sexual assault trial has signed with a U.S. team. 

On Wednesday, the St. Louis Blues announced forward Dillon Dubé will join its American Hockey League–affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds on a professional tryout agreement. According to the team, he will begin with the AHL club, located in Massachusetts, upon receiving his work visa.

Dubé, 27, is one of five former NHL players from the 2018 Canada world junior hockey team acquitted of sexual assault in July. Four of the accused players were in the NHL when charges were levied in January 2024, and all took leaves of absence from their respective teams. Dubé had been in his sixth season with the Flames after being drafted in the second round by Calgary in 2016.

The Hockey Canada trial, which centered on consent, stemmed from an alleged incident following a gala celebrating Team Canada’s gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship. A woman known publicly as only “E.M.” accused the five players of sexual assault in a London, Ont., hotel room. All five defendants were found not guilty as Judge Maria Carroccia ruled that the Crown could not “meet its onus on any of the accounts,” deeming E.M.’s evidence not “credible or reliable.”

Following their acquittal, the NHL did not immediately permit the defendants to rejoin the league—a stance that was at odds with the NHLPA. The league called the players’ behavior “deeply troubling and unacceptable,” adding that their conduct did not meet its “standard” of moral integrity. In September, the NHL announced the players would be able to sign contracts in October and begin play in December.

The Golden Knights picked up goalie Carter Hart, who has played three games with Vegas since his return on Dec. 2. Last week, the Carolina-affiliate Chicago Wolves signed Cal Foote to a standard AHL contract. (In September, the Hurricanes, which were reportedly interested in both Hart and defendant Michael McLeod, received significant pushback from their fanbase and ultimately did not offer contracts to either player.)

Wednesday’s announcement adds Dubé to the group of Hockey Canada defendants to sign an agreement in professional U.S. hockey. Dubé most recently played for Minsk Dynamo in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.

“This decision follows a comprehensive review of the details of his case and discussions at all levels of our organization,” the Blues said in a statement. “We are confident in the decision to offer the tryout and will provide the necessary support to ensure Dillon contributes positively both on the ice and in the community. We will always hold our players to the highest of standards, consistent with the core values of our organization, and that will be emphasized as we move forward.”

The Thunderbirds, which currently sit at the bottom of the AHL’s Atlantic Division, did not respond to Front Office Sports’ request for comment.

The trial’s other two defendants have also signed contracts, both outside the U.S. In October, McLeod—the only player who faced a second charge of being party to the offense, of which he was also acquitted—signed a three-year deal with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk. Alex Forementon signed a short-term deal with the Swiss league’s Ambri-Piotta, with an option to stay through 2025–26.

As the players have returned to professional hockey across the globe, sentiment from fans has been dramatically split—just as it was during the trial. 

Some fans have welcomed back the players, arguing that they deserved to be reinstated and resume their pro hockey careers following their acquittals. Many other fans and groups have expressed outrage at teams for signing players. These include survivor-advocacy organizations and individual sexual assault survivors, some of whom have posted on social media that they are donating money to sexual violence–assistance organizations for each goal scored against Vegas’s Hart.