Golden Knights Officially Sign Carter Hart to NHL Contract

On Friday, the Vegas Golden Knights officially signed Carter Hart to a two-year contract. The deal carries an AAV of $2 million. 

Hart joined the Golden Knights’ organization on a PTO on October 16th. He has been practicing with the team ever since. 

Read More: Carter Hart ‘Looking For Fresh Start’ With Golden Knights

When he joined the organization, the Golden Knights issued the following statement:

Hart last played in the NHL on January 20th, 2024. For the last 21 months, he has been out of the league, facing sexual assault charges. He was found not guilty in July and reinstated in September. However, the league upheld the suspension and issued the following statement:

“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.”

Read More: Golden Knights Looking Forward to Welcoming Hart to ‘Culture’

As stated by the league, Hart isn’t eligible to play in the NHL until December 1st. The Golden Knights can send him to their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, for a conditioning stint beginning on November 15th.  

The Golden Knights were always going to sign Hart. So, why bother with a PTO?

Well, they just didn’t have the cap space to accommodate the inevitable $2 million contract, and they wanted to get him on the ice with the team. Because Hart is still suspended, they would have been on the hook. Now, with Mark Stone on Long-Term Injured Reserve, they can afford the cap hit. 

Adin Hill, the Golden Knights’ starting goaltender, is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. When he’s healthy, they’ll have to make a ‘surprisingly interesting’ decision in net.