Carter Hart Joins the Vegas Golden Knights
Goalie Carter Hart returns to the NHL by joining the Vegas Golden Knights organization. This move marks his return to the league 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 has been reinstated by the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association.Sources indicate that Hart, 27, 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 Canada’s junior team at the 2018 World Junior Championship who were 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. At that time, Hart was the starting goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers. He took an indefinite leave of absence shortly before the charges were announced, and the Flyers said in September that Hart would not be rejoining the team. Unlike other players involved in the case, Hart chose not to play professionally abroad and instead trained in Nashville. According to sources, Hart will report to Las Vegas, where he can begin training with the team, in accordance with the conditions established by the NHL and the NHLPA. He is then expected to go to Henderson, Nevada, and participate in some games starting November 15th 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 pick by Philadelphia in the 2016 draft. He has played in 227 NHL games, recording a 2.94 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. The other four players involved in the Team Canada case, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, and Michael McLeod, are not expected to 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 the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia.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.
Golden Knights Team
