Michael McLeod & Cal Foote Granted Leave of Absence By Devils


Following the recent leads of Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers and Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames, the New Jersey Devils' Michael McLeod and Cal Foote have also requested and been granted leaves of absence. 

“Michael McLeod and Cal Foote have each requested and been granted an indefinite leave of absence from the team. The club will have no further comment at this time," reads the Devils official statement.

McLeod and Foote were the Team Canada 2018 world junior hockey teammates of Hart and Dube, a team that has been under police investigation on serious charges. There is no official word at this point of the direct involvement of any of these players with that alleged incident or investigation, though many around hockey are already connecting the dots.

McLeod, 25, is having a strong season, already setting a career high with 10 goals and with 19 points is just seven shy of his previous best in points. The center has done well to fill in for injury absences in the middle for both Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier at various points this season.

Foote, a defenseman, is a former first-rounder (14th overall, 2017) but has only played in four games with the Devils this season, recording one point. He's played 24 games for the Utica Comets of the AHL, and has recorded nine points.

 Photo: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports