The National Hockey League announced Thursday that the five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team who were acquitted of sexual assault charges in July will be suspended until Dec. 1.

Alex Formenton, Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote are eligible to sign with a team as soon as Oct. 15.

Each of the five players had been charged with sexual assault in connection with an incident in a London, Ont., hotel in June 2018 following a Hockey Canada gala event. McLeod also faced a second charge of being a party to the offence.

The players’ criminal trial began in late April in London and was marked by repeated delays, a mistrial, and the dismissal of a second jury before continuing by judge.

The National Hockey League said in a statement following the verdict on July 24 by Justice Maria Carroccia that even though the players were found not guilty, their actions were “unacceptable” and the players were ineligible to return to the league while it reviewed the decision.

“The events that transpired after the 2018 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala in London, Ontario, prior to these players’ arrival in the NHL, were deeply troubling and unacceptable. The league expects everyone connected with the game to conduct themselves with the highest level of moral integrity. And, in this case, while found not to have been criminal, the conduct of the players involved certainly did not meet that standard,” the NHL said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

“Upon learning of the allegations in May 2022, the league commenced a third-party investigation into their conduct. This investigation was extensive, and included, among other things: interviews with every player on the team and several other relevant parties who were willing to meet with us, and examination of hundreds of documents, videos and texts.

“…In relying on both our own investigation, and the conclusions reached by Justice Carroccia in her opinion, and the players’ acquittal, the league has determined that the conduct at issue falls woefully short of the standards and values that the league and its member clubs expect and demand.

“The league is now confronted with how best to respond to all that has happened — the conduct of the players, the criminal proceeding, and the acquittal of the players.

“Each of the players, based on in-person meetings with the League following the verdicts, expressed regret and remorse for his actions. Nevertheless, we believe their conduct requires formal league-imposed discipline.

“Given their conduct, we carefully evaluated the players’ acquittal in court and the time spent away from the game. Taking into account that the players have been away from the game for 20 months – including since their acquittals in July – we have determined that the players will be eligible to sign an NHL contract no sooner than October 15, 2025, and eligible to play in NHL games no sooner than December 1, 2025, bringing their total time out of the League to nearly two years.”

The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) criticized the league’s position in July, saying that the ruling didn’t align with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.

“We are pleased that Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Michael McLeod will have the opportunity to resume their NHL careers. The players cooperated with every investigation,” a statement from the NHLPA on Thursday reads.

“Upon their full acquittal by Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia, we initiated discussions with the NHL regarding the players’ return to work. To avoid a protracted dispute that would cause further delay, we reached the resolution that the league announced today. We now consider the matter closed and look forward to the players’ return.”

Four of the players (Dube, Foote, Hart and McLeod) were playing in the NHL until charges were announced during the 2023-24 season and are currently unrestricted free agents. Formenton has been out of the league since 2022 and rejoined Swiss club HC Ambri-Piotta earlier in September.