Michael McLeod finds his next hockey job after sexual assault allegations, arrest

The New Jersey Devils had one of the most tumultuous seasons in recent memory in 2023-24. Most of the problems occurred on ice, with terrible goaltending, a laundry list of injuries, and a head coach firing, it was not the easiest year for general manager Tom Fitzgerald. However, one of the most impactful situations happened off the ice, with Michael McLeod and Cal Foote getting arrested in Canada and charged with sexual assault.

They were two of the five men charged with sexual assault, tied to a 2018 alleged incident involving a woman after a World Juniors team event. The incident as explained is heinous. There’s no doubt that NHL teams want nothing to do with players if they are even remotely involved in this type of incident.

However, it appears the KHL is not too pressed about the allegations. Multiple players tied to the incident already signed there, and it appears the former Devils first-round pick is heading there too.

For those not fluent in Russian, McLeod has agreed to terms with Kazhakstan-based KHL team Barys Astana. That's the same team Will Butcher signed with last week. There's no saying whether that's connected, but they were teammates for parts of three seasons.

All five players could sign in the KHL, as this court case is expected to last at least into 2025. It appears the teams in the mainly-Russian league are willing to keep these players employed while fighing the charges.

McLeod signed a one-year deal, so one can expect he believes a return to the NHL could happen, or it's possible that this KHL team didn't want to risk longer than that. The Devils only signed McLeod to one year last offseason, allowing them to get out of his contract for nothing this offseason. He, along with Cal Foote, were not offered qualifying offers, making him an unrestricted free agent.

There is still a long road ahead, but it appears someone in this world is still willing to employ Michael McLeod.