Former New Jersey Devils forward Michael McLeod is returning to the KHL on a three-year contract with Avangard Omsk, the league announced Thursday.
McLeod spent the 2024-25 season in the KHL after being one of five players charged in early 2024 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 NHL announced last that it was reinstating the five players who were acquitted of sexual assault charges stemming from an incident in 2018 when they were members of Canada’s world junior team, and that they will be eligible to sign a contract Oct. 15 and take part in games Dec. 1.
McLeod, Carte Hart, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were all found not guilty by a judge this summer in their high-profile trial in London, Ont. 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.
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. Hart is expected to join the Vegas Golden Knights when he becomes eligible to sign next week.
McLeod, 27, had 10 goals and 19 points in 45 games with the Devils during the 2023-24 season. Selected 12th overall by the Devils in the 2016 draft, he has 29 goals and 85 points in 287 career NHL games.