Acquitted Goaltender Carter Hart Joining Golden Knights

On Thursday, the Vegas Golden Knights announced that Carter Hart would be joining the organization. 

For weeks now, insiders have connected the Golden Knights to the acquitted goaltender. And when it comes to Vegas, where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. 

Hart will officially join the organization on a tryout.

In 2024, Hart and four other members of Canada’s 2018 World Juniors team were charged with sexual assault. After an eight-week trial this summer, Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia declared all five players– Hart, Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, and Dillon Dube– not guilty.

The NHL reinstated them on September 11th, making all five free agents. Hart, 27, became eligible to sign a new contract on October 15th. If and when Hart signs a contract, he can’t make his Golden Knights debut until December 1st. The players aren’t eligible to play until then, according to a statement issued by the league.

“Each of the players, based on in-person meetings with the league following the verdicts, expressed regret and remorse for his actions. Nevertheless, we believe their conduct requires formal league-imposed discipline.

“Given their conduct, we carefully evaluated the players’ acquittal in court and the time spent away from the game. Taking into account that the players have been away from the game for 20 months— including since their acquittals in July— we have determined that the players will be eligible to sign an NHL contract no sooner than October 15th, 2025, and eligible to play in NHL games no sooner than December 1st, 2025, bringing their total time out of the league to nearly two years.

“The league expects and requires that, going forward, each of the players will uphold the standards required of NHL players both on and off the ice.”

Hart last played an NHL game on January 24th, 2024. When he plays, presumably on December 2nd– the Golden Knights have the 1st off– it will have been nearly two years since his last NHL action.

The Philadelphia Flyers selected Hart in the second round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He made his debut in 2018 and played 227 games over a six-year stint with the Flyers. He ended his Flyers tenure with a record of 96-93-29, an average save percentage of .906, and six shutouts. Hart also appeared in 14 postseason games with a 9-5 record and a .926 average save percentage.