Goaltender Carter Hart joins the Vegas Golden Knights organization, marking his return to the NHL after being found not guilty of sexual assault charges this summer. The Golden Knights announced Hart’s addition on Thursday, noting in a statement that the goaltender had been reinstated by the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association.
Sources indicate that Hart, 27 years old, is on a paid tryout period that is expected to turn into an NHL contract. If Vegas signs Hart, he will be eligible to start playing in the NHL on December 1st. Hart was one of five players from the 2018 Canadian junior team who was found not guilty of sexual assault charges in July. The trial in London, Ontario, stemmed from an alleged assault that took place after the 2018 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala. The players were criminally charged in 2024.The Golden Knights are aligned with the process and the evaluation that the NHL and the NHLPA made in their decision. We remain committed to the core values that have defined our organization since its inception and expect our players to continue to uphold these standards in the future.
Team Statement
The players were judged for assaulting a woman, known as EM, in a hotel room after she agreed to have consensual sex with McLeod. In her ruling after an eight-week trial, Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia said that the prosecutors did not meet the burden of proof on any of the charges, and that she did not find EM’s evidence “credible or reliable”.
At that time, Hart was the starting goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers. He took an indefinite leave shortly before the charges were announced, and the Flyers said last month that Hart would not rejoin the team. Unlike other players involved in the case, Hart chose not to play professionally abroad and instead trained in Nashville. Sources reported that Hart will appear in Vegas, where he can begin training with the team, according to the conditions established by the NHL and the NHLPA. He is expected to then go to Henderson, Nevada, and have some game action starting November 15 with the Golden Knights’ minor league affiliate. Several teams, including the Carolina Hurricanes, had explored the possibility of signing Hart, according to sources. In March, Vegas signed starting goaltender Adin Hill to a six-year extension. The team also has 25-year-old Akira Schmid under contract for this season. Hart was a second-round selection by Philadelphia in the 2016 draft. He has played in 227 NHL games, recording a goals-against average of 2.94 and a save percentage of .906. It is expected that the other four players in the case of Team Canada, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, and Michael McLeod, will not join NHL teams in the immediate future, according to sources. The Ottawa Senators hold Formenton’s rights, but he is not expected to be signed, although other teams have explored the possibility of trading for his rights. McLeod signed a three-year contract earlier this month to play in Russia’s Continental Hockey League.
