Hurricanes considering signing Michael McLeod after acquittal of sexual assault charge

The Carolina Hurricanes are exploring whether to sign center
Michael McLeod, according to a source familiar with the team.

McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex
Formenton were accused of sexual assault. In late July, a judge in London,
Ontario, acquitted the players of the charges stemming from an incident there
seven years earlier.

The players are eligible to sign Oct. 15 and play Dec. 1 as
part of their reinstatement process.

The source told WRAL Sports’ Pat Welter that the judge’s
ruling on consent is what changed the Canes’ perspective about the possibility of
signing McLeod.

99.9 The Fan host Adam Gold said the Hurricanes also
considered signing Hart. However, Gold said Hart is uninterested in signing with
Carolina.

McLeod, 27, was a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils
and remained with the franchise until he was formally charged with sexual
assault in January 2024.

McLeod hasn’t played an NHL game since then and became an
unrestricted free agent when New Jersey opted not to qualify him in 2024.