Michael McLeod Finds New Team For 2024-25

Michael McLeod is one of the five ex-Team Canada junior players awaiting trial on charges of sexual assault, but now the exiled New Jersey Devils forward has signed a one-year deal for 2024-25 with Barys Astana in Russia.

#NJDevils forward Michael McLeod has signed with Barys Astana (KHL) for one year, so he and Dillon Dube are both playing in Russia now. Curious to see what happens with Carter Hart.
— Jon Bailey (@ByJonBailey) August 2, 2024

McLeod, along with his former Devils teammate Cal Foote, former Calgary Flame Dillon Dube, and ex-Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart all became unrestricted free agents on June 30th when their teams declined to offer them the qualifying offer, given their troubling legal issues.

Dube had already signed in the KHL last month, he's now joined by McLeod, a former first-round pick, who registered 10 goals and 19 points in his 45 games this past season before he was granted a "leave of absence" once the charges were brought by London police.

The sexual assault case involving the five former members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team has a court date this month to potentially set a date for trial.

While all the players (the 5th being former NHLer Alex Formenton) are charged with sexual assault, McLeod also faces an additional charge for "being a party to the offence."

No word yet on where or if Hart and/or Foote plan to play this coming season.