NHL set to make a decision on four of the charged 2018 WJC scandal players

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James Connelly
June 6, 2024 (6:08 PM)

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The NHL is in a predicament as four of the five charged 2018 WJC scandal members are upcoming restricted free agents and teams are wondering what the NHL will do.

This past season five members of the 2018 Team Canada World Junior Championship roster were charged with major crimes. The judicial process has yet to take place but four players, Carter Hart, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, and Dillon Dube, are pending restricted free agents this offseason. The NHL will need to decide on whether to allow the teams to retain their rights without handing them qualifying offers.

"Right now, the Flyers, Flames and Devils are in limbo. If pressed, they are all unlikely to issue qualifying offers to retain the rights of these players. However, the judicial process has not yet begun, and all four have proclaimed their innocence through barristers and are owed due process. All [three] teams are hoping that the NHL will step in and take the issue out of their hands, which could allow the teams to retain their rights without the need for qualifying offers pending the judicial process and, of course, any potential league discipline that might follow." - Frank Seravalli

The NHL has just about a month to make a decision on whether or not the teams will be allowed to retain the players' rights without issuing qualifying offers, which total about $9 million across the four players who are on expiring contracts.

We will wait for a future announcement and if the NHL will allow teams to retain these players' rights till the judicial process is finished or not.

Source: Daily Faceoff
NHL to decide whether teams must qualify charged Hockey Canada players