Torn Up: Swedish Elite Squad Backs Down on Foote Signing After Fan Firestorm

KARLSTAD, Sweden — The Cal Foote chapter in Sweden is over before it even really began.

Färjestad BK announced Thursday that it will not honor the contract with the 27-year-old defenseman, pulling the plug after what the club described as conversations with stakeholders. The message from the stands was loud enough: this deal wasn't landing.

Why the backlash?

Foote was one of five players acquitted in the high-profile Hockey Canada 2018 world junior sexual assault case. The allegations date back to 2018, before any of those involved reached the NHL. The league suspended Foote and the others while he was part of the New Jersey Devils organization, and the case cast a long shadow over his career ever since.

Last season, Foote spent much of his time with the AHL's Chicago Wolves, trying to work his way back to the highest level. The Swedish Elite League looked like a fresh start — but fans weren't having it.

Now Färjestad BK has made its call: no contract, no comeback tour in Karlstad. The club's decision ends the move before Foote ever suited up, a clear signal that in this market, the baggage was too heavy to ignore.