2018 Team Canada Junior Feature: The First Player Arrives in Canada

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
2018 Team Canada Junior Feature: The First Player Arrives in Canada
Credit: X

In 2025, the five players at the center of the 2018 Team Canada Junior scandal were acquitted following a trial that, as you know, received a great deal of media attention.

They were subsequently cleared to return to the NHL.

Carter Hart was the only one to do so in 2025–2026, and he led the Golden Knights to within a few games of a Stanley Cup. That, too, caused quite a stir during the playoffs.

Finding him a team hadn't been easy. Returning to Philly wasn't an option. The idea of him signing with Carolina had sparked outrage among local fans.

And the thought of him signing in Canada was inconceivable, both for him and for the fans.

Except that a year later, things have changed. Time has passed, and when a player from that group signs an NHL contract, the comments have less of an impact on the teams.

That was the case when Dillon Dube signed with St. Louis… and it's the case today following the announcement of Alex Formenton's contract with the Edmonton Oilers. Take a look at the comments: it's still causing a stir.

This is definitely a milestone. Seeing a 2018 WJC player sign in Canada is news of a different magnitude than seeing him sign in the United States.

If Carter Hart hadn't signed last year and had waited until the summer of 2026, would he be with the Oilers (a team in need of help in net) right now?

The Oilers employ Stan Bowman, Mike Babcock, and Alex Formenton. They've had “Hockey Canada” written all over them for decades, and they're based in a province that's more conservative than liberal.

I'm not surprised that this particular Canadian team signed a former Team Canada player. After all, it'll go over better there than in Montreal, Ottawa, or Toronto.


In Brief

– News from Brossard.

– Gavin McKenna will be living with the Tavares family.

– Nice.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!