Forward Dillon Dube, one of five players acquitted on sexual assault charges as members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior hockey team, has agreed to a professional tryout with the St. Louis Blues’ AHL affiliate.
The Blues announced the deal on Wednesday. Dube, 27, is the only one of the five players who remains unsigned.
The NHL announced on Sept. 11 that Dube, Carter Hart, Cal Foote and Michael McLeod are unrestricted free agents and may sign contracts with any team. The fifth player, Alex Formenton, was a restricted free agent who was still on the Ottawa Senators’ reserve list. Formenton signed earlier that month with Swiss team Ambri-Piotta.
“The St. Louis Blues have signed Dillon Dube to a professional tryout with our AHL affiliate in following the process set forth by the National Hockey League and its Players’ Association upon his reinstatement,” the team said in a statement.
“This decision follows a comprehensive review of the details of his case and discussions at all levels of our organization,” the team told ESPN. “We are confident in the decision to offer the tryout and will provide the necessary support to ensure Dillon contributes positively both on the ice and in the community. We will always hold our players to the highest of standards, consistent with the core values of our organization, and that will be emphasized as we move forward.”
Dube will report to the Springfield Thunderbirds upon receiving his work visa.
The Vegas Golden Knights signed goaltender Hart in October, while defenseman Foote signed with the Carolina Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate in Chicago, and forward McLeod is playing for with Avangard Omsk of the KHL.
All five players were members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior hockey team. They were charged with sexual assault in connection with an incident in a London, Ontario, hotel in June 2018.
After an earlier mistrial and two dismissed juries, Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia of the Ontario Court of Justice said she didn’t find the complainant’s evidence “credible or reliable” on July 24.
Dube had 127 points (57 goals, 70 assists) in 325 regular-season games for the Calgary Flames from 2018-24. He played 42 games last season with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL, tallying four goals and seven assists.
Calgary selected him in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft.
In other moves on Wednesday, the Blues placed forward Jordan Kyrou (lower body) on injured reserve and listed him as week-to-week, and signed forward Robby Fabbri to a one-year, two-way contract.
Fabbri, who will be paid at a rate of $775,000 in the NHL and $300,000 in the AHL, will join the team Thursday in Nashville for a game against the Predators.
Kyrou, 27, last played Saturday in a 2-1 win at Ottawa. He was playing the puck and was hit by Senators forward Stephen Halliday just 2:52 into the game.
“It’s kind of what we thought it would be,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said on Tuesday of Kyrou’s MRI results. “We’re happy with the results of the MRI considering it could have been longer.”
Kyrou has 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 28 games this season.
For his career, Kyrou has 158 goals and 190 assists in 444 regular-season games with the Blues starting with the 2018-19 season. He was an All-Star in 2022.
Fabbri, 29, played one season for the Anaheim Ducks in 2024-25, collecting 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 44 games.
For his career, Fabbri has 216 points (106 goals, 110 assists) in 442 regular-season games for the Blues (2015-19), Detroit Red Wings (2019-24) and Ducks.
–Field Level Media
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