From and with the 15 October, Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart and Callan Foote can sign contracts with NHL teams and can start playing again from the 1 December, writes NHL on their website.
It was in connection with a charity gala in June 2018, when the team was celebrated for its World Junior Championship gold the same year, that a woman stated that she was sexually exploited by five players in a hotel room.
The case was dropped by the police, but was reopened in 2022 after it was revealed that the Canadian ice hockey association had covered up the incident and tried to reach a settlement with the woman.
The players have denied the crime.
They have all played in the NHL but left their clubs when the charges were brought and have not been active since then.
