In a significant development, four of the five Canadian world junior players who were charged with sexual assault stemming from an incident in June 2018 have been released by their NHL teams. The Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, and New Jersey Devils decided not to tender qualifying offers to Carter Hart, Dillon Dubé, Michael McLeod, and Cal Foote before Sunday's deadline, making them unrestricted free agents.

Since late January, these players had been on paid leave from their respective teams after being ordered to surrender to the London Police Service to face sexual assault charges. However, a trial date has not yet been set for them.

The decision to not issue qualifying offers means that the players will no longer receive salary while the legal process unfolds, potentially extending into the upcoming season. The Flyers, Flames, and Devils made the choice to cut ties with the players, who were widely expected to accept the qualifying offers if extended.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed that there are currently no restrictions on their ability to sign with other teams immediately. However, given the uncertainty surrounding their situations, it may prove challenging for the players to secure new contracts.

Recently, the NHL and NHL Players' Association discussed the possibility of freezing the players' statuses until a trial is held. However, an agreement on how to implement this could not be reached.

It is now likely that Hart, Dubé, McLeod, and Foote may explore opportunities to continue their hockey careers in Europe, following the path of teammate Alex Formenton who played in Switzerland with HC Ambrì-Piotta over the past two seasons.

Regarding Formenton, his NHL rights will remain with the Ottawa Senators until July 1, 2027, as he received a qualifying offer following the 2021-22 NHL season and was subsequently moved to their reserve list.

The charges against the five players stem from an incident in June 2018 that occurred at the Delta London Armouries Hotel, following a Hockey Canada Gala where the world junior team was being celebrated for their gold-medal win. McLeod is facing two counts of sexual assault, while Dubé, Foote, Formenton, and Hart each face one count.

As this case progresses, it remains to be seen what's next for these players and how they will navigate their hockey careers amidst the ongoing legal proceedings.