Cal Foote heads to Europe amidst ongoing allegations

The acquisition is defenseman Cal Foote, who has played 145 games in the NHL and 179 in the AHL, suiting up for the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New Jersey Devils. He even won a Stanley Cup with the Bolts in 2021.

However, recently, his name has been in the news for less-than-ideal reasons. Foote, the son of NHL legend Adam Foote, is one of five Canadian junior players accused of being involved in the Hockey Canada from the 2018 World Juniors.

Since the allegations came to light, Foote hasn't played any games in North American leagues, and the same goes for the other players allegedly involved-Foote's Devils teammate Michael McLeod, Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, Calgary Flames defenseman Dillon Dubé, and the recently retired and former Ottawa Senator, Alex Formenton.

The men in question became free agents at the end of last season but haven't been allowed to play in the NHL since the incident. To keep their hockey spirit alive, Dube, McLeod and now Foote are overseas, while Hart continues to train in hopes of a return to the show and Formenton has become a construction worker.

Hart shared that he plans to move to Tennessee to train full-time with a former pro hockey player. All five accused were granted exemption from
attending pretrials and have stated they'll plead not guilty at a jury trial, which is set to begin in September 2025.