The NHL says the five players acquitted of sexual assault charges stemming from an incident in 2018 will be eligible to sign a contract Oct. 15 and play Dec. 1. The league announced the decision Thursday to reinstate Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, and Michael McLeod a little over a month since a judge in London, Ontario, found them not guilty. They were members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team at the time and not yet in the NHL. The NHL Players' Association in a statement said it was pleased Dube, Foote, Formention, Hart and McLeod will get a chance to resume their careers.

Ken Dryden, the Hall of Fame goaltender who helped the Montreal Canadiens win six Stanley Cup titles in the 1970s, has died after a fight with cancer. He was 78. The Canadiens announced his death early Saturday, saying Dryden’s family asked for privacy. A team spokesperson said a close friend of Dryden’s appointed by the family contacted the organization, adding he died peacefully Friday at his home. Dryden backstopped the NHL’s most successful franchise to championships in six of his eight seasons in the league from 1970-71 to ’78-79. He won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, the Vezina as the best goalie five times and the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP in 1971, while being a six-time All-Star.

The St. Louis Blues are bringing in 37-year-old forward Milan Lucic for a tryout. The member of the Boston Bruins' 2011 Stanley Cup championship team last played in 2023. Lucic was on long-term injured reserve when police were called to his home by his wife. She told them he pulled her hair and tried to choke her. The charges were dropped when his wife declined to testify in court. Lucic entered the league’s Player Assistance Program. The Blues say he has completed the program and has been reinstated by the NHL.