From left to right, Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube and Carter Hart arrive in court in London, Ontario on April 22. Nicole Osborne/AP New York AP —

The NHL is reinstating 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, announcing Thursday they will be eligible to sign a contract October 15 and take part in games December 1.

The move comes roughly seven weeks since Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were found not guilty by a judge in London, Ontario. The Canadian government told lawyers for the players last month it would not appeal the ruling.

They were not in the NHL at the time of the incident.

None of the players had

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