Carter Hart receives one-year suspension along with several other players
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
An independent appeal board has ruled on the five players tied to the 2018 World Junior team, with Carter Hart facing one of the longest suspensions.
The long running appeal process tied to Hockey Canada's 2018 National Junior Team finally has a resolution.
An independent appeal board announced its decision on the code of conduct case that has hung over five former teammates for years, and the outcomes vary wildly depending on the player.
Carter Hart, the most recognizable name in the group given his current run with the Vegas Golden Knights, is suspended until November 10, 2027.
That means he will miss a significant chunk of time from any Hockey Canada sanctioned activity, even as he continues his NHL career.
For a goaltender who has fought hard to rebuild his standing in the sport, this ruling adds another layer to an already complicated few years.
How the other players were affected
Hart was not alone in receiving discipline.
Alex Formenton was reinstated immediately, the most favorable outcome of the group.
Cal Foote is suspended until November 10, 2026, giving him the shortest remaining ban among those still facing sanctions.
Dillon Dube is out until November 10, 2028, and Michael McLeod received the longest suspension of anyone involved, running until November 10, 2030.
What comes next for these players
None of this affects their NHL eligibility, since that matter was settled separately by the league and the players association.
This ruling is specific to Hockey Canada programming, meaning things like national team consideration and sanctioned events.
For players like Hart who still hold value on NHL rosters, day to day careers continue unaffected, but the door to representing Canada again just got a lot more complicated for some of them.
Hockey Canada has not released the full reasoning behind the board's decision as of publication.
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