Carolina Hurricanes are considering signing Michael McLeod, who was acquitted of sexual assault
STORY WILL BE DAILY. WRAL NEWS LIVE IN FRANKLIN TENN. YOU WORRY FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY TONIGHT. >> SO THE CAROLINA HURRICANES LIKE ANY TEAM ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO GET BETTER. THEIR LATEST EFFORTS. WE’RE GETTING SOME PEOPLE CONCERNED, THOUGH THE CANES ARE LOOKING INTO SIGNING MICHAEL MCLEOD. THIS IS A PLAYER WHO IS ACQUITTED, I SHOULD MENTION, BUT ACQUITTED DURING A ASSAULT CASE. HE’S ONE OF 5 PLAYERS ACQUITTED EARLIER THIS SUMMER. BUT TONIGHT, A LOT OF THE CANES FANS ARE REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL MOVE WRAL’S HEIDI KIRK IS LIVE NOW AT THE LENOVO CENTER AFTER IT GETTING SOME INSIGHT ON THIS SITUATION AND EXPLAINING IT TO US A BIT FURTHER. IT. >> WELL, DAN, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT, THIS HAS BEEN A BIG TALKER SINCE THIS NEWS BROKE JUST THIS WEEK. IN FACT, IT’S ALSO A BIG WEEK FOR THE CANES BECAUSE THEY STARTED THEIR TRAINING CAMP JUST DAYS AGO. AND THEY’RE LOOKING AHEAD TO THE STANLEY CUP. OF COURSE, HOPING FOR A BIG WIN THIS SEASON. NOW, LET ME BREAK ALL OF THIS DOWN FOR YOU. WE’VE BEEN LOOKING INTO THIS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. NOW. HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW. 5 PLAYERS FROM CANADA’S 2018 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM WERE ACCUSED OF ASSAULT BY A WOMAN. THE PLAYERS WERE ACQUITTED IN JULY. THEY’VE BEEN INELIGIBLE TO PLAY IN THE NHL SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2024. BUT NOW THEY’RE FREE TO SIGN WITH TEAMS AS SOON AS OCTOBER 15TH. NOW, ONE OF THOSE PLAYERS, AS YOU MENTIONED, IS MICHAEL MCLEOD, A REPORT FROM DAVID PACK. AT THE 4TH PERIOD, SAYS THE CANES ARE EXPECTED TO SIGN MCLEOD WRAL’S PAT WELTER CONFIRMED WITH SOURCES. THE TEAM HAS BEEN DISCUSSING THIS INTERNALLY, THOUGH HE FOUND THEY ARE NOT EXPECTED TO SIGN WITH CLOUD JUST YET. NOW WE TALKED WITH HURRICANES INSIDER ADAM COLD. 99.9, THE FAN WHO SAYS THE CANES DECISION COULD BE BASED ON HOW FANS REACT. >> DEPENDING ON PAUL. I SEE. I WANT TO BE PART OF THAT. OR THE TWO-GAME SAYING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT’S NOT LOST ALL OF THIS. SOME PEOPLE FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THIS AND HAVE PEOPLE SAY. A LOT OF SUPPORT THAT AND WITH OUR DOLLARS AND MAYBE JUST A DIFFERENT DECISION ULTIMATELY IS MADE. >> AND AND IT’S WORTH MENTIONING THAT THE CANES ARE NOT THE ONLY TEAM ARE LOOKING INTO THESE PLAYERS. AND ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT, THERE’S LOTS OF TEAMS THAT HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN OUT SAYING THAT THEY WILL NOT CONSIDER ANY OF THOSE 5 ATHLETES FOR THEIR TEAMS BECAUSE OF THIS INFORMATION. IT’LL BE VERY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW IT ALL SHAKES OUT. CAN YOU ALSO MENTION, LOOK, NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE. NOTHING IS FINAL. YOU WERE MENTIONING THAT DATE, OCTOBER 15TH AS BEING THE SOON AS THESE PLAYERS COULD. >> COULD BE RE-SIGNED. COULD YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE WHY THAT’S SIGNIFICANT. ABSOLUTELY. SO THIS ALL HAS TO DO WITH THE NHL’S REINSTATEMENT PROCESS. ESSENTIALLY THEY HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO BE RE SIGNED BY A TEAM. >> SINCE THOSE CHARGES WERE BROUGHT AGAINST HIM IN FEBRUARY OF 2024. NOW THAT OCTOBER 15TH, THE DEADLINE IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT IS THE FIRST DAY THE TEAM CAN CHOOSE TO SIGN ONE OF THESE PLAYERS. SO, OF COURSE, THAT’S GONNA BE A DATE THAT WE’RE ALL GOING TO BE LOOKING TOWARD AND BRING
The Carolina Hurricanes are exploring whether to sign center Michael McLeod, WRAL Sports has learned.
McLeod is one of five hockey players, members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team, accused of sexual assault in an encounter that took place in a London, Ontario, hotel room in the early hours of June 19, 2018.
Web story: https://www.wral.com/sports/carolina-hurricanes-consider-signing-michael-mcleod-after-acquittal-september-2025/
(Credit: CALL Letters via CNN Newsource)
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