Carter Hart Joins the Vegas Golden Knights
Goaltender Carter Hart returns to the NHL and joins the Vegas Golden Knights organization, 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, 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 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 said Hart will report to Vegas, where he can begin training with the team, according to the conditions set by the NHL and the NHLPA. He is then expected to 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, sources said. 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. It is expected that the other four players involved in the Team Canada case, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, and Michael McLeod, will not join NHL teams in the immediate future, sources said. 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.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.
Statement from the Vegas Golden Knights
