Two of the five former Team Canada world junior hockey team players awaiting trial on charges in connection with an alleged group sexual assault from 2018 have signed contracts to play in the Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Astana Barys, a team based in Kazakhstan, announced Friday on Twitter the signing of former New Jersey Devils player Micheal McLeod to a deal that expires at the end of May 2025.

The Belarus-based KHL team Dinamo Minsk also has listed on its roster Dillon Dubé, a former Calgary Flames player who, like McLeod, is among the five Canadian junior players facing sexual assault charges. McLeod is also charged with one count of being party to the offence.

Professor Laura Misener of Western University is a sports scholar who focuses on safe sport and good governance. She said the seriousness of the charges would open the NHL to a firestorm of criticism if the players were allowed to play in Canada or the United States while the court process plays out. However, the bosses of Russia’s top pro league don’t appear to have the same concerns.