Carter Hart, a former member of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team recently exonerated following a legal process, is now affiliated with the Vegas Golden Knights.
The NHL team communicated this decision through a formal announcement on Thursday. Specifics regarding the agreement were not provided, but various news sources indicated that Carter agreed to a professional tryout arrangement.
Hart’s suspension by the NHL will remain in effect until December 1, but he was permitted to engage with a team starting the prior Wednesday while awaiting reinstatement.
During his address to reporters at the Golden Knights’ facility in Las Vegas, Hart expressed his intention “to demonstrate my authentic character to the community, revealing my true self and values.”
“I am extremely thankful, enthusiastic, and honored to be a part of the Golden Knights. I had an excellent skating session today with [goalie coach Sean] Burke and a few teammates.
“It has been a lengthy journey to arrive at this juncture, returning to the sport of hockey, the game I deeply cherish,” Hart continued. “I have been away from the game for a year and a half. I have gained considerable knowledge and personal growth. I am eager to move forward.”
Carter Hart, along with Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, and Alex Formenton, faced charges of sexual assault related to an interaction with a woman following a celebratory gala for the Canadian world junior team’s gold medal win in 2018. McLeod also faced an additional charge of being an accessory to the offense.
The five players received acquittals on July 24 following a trial held in London, Ontario.
Hart is the first of the five players to sign with an NHL team. McLeod has since signed with a team in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, while Formenton is continuing his professional hockey career in Switzerland.
Megan Savard expressed on Thursday that the verdict in the Hockey Canada trial served as a vindication for her client, Carter Hart. She noted that her client would have been open to a restorative justice approach, had it been offered, instead of undergoing what she described as a distressing and unnecessary trial.
“Each individual team will be responsible for making its own judgment,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman stated on Wednesday following the NHL’s board of governors meeting in New York. “They are aware of the regulations. They will decide whether or not they wish to proceed, subject to those rules.”
Last month, the general manager of the Ottawa Senators conveyed that Formenton would not be welcomed back into the organization.
“We have engaged in discussions with the agent and I think both sides agree that it would be best for everybody for a fresh start for Alex,” general manager Steve Staios told reporters then.
In a previous statement, the NHL communicated that the occurrences involving the accused players were “deeply concerning and unacceptable.”
Although their actions were deemed non-criminal, the NHL stated that their conduct “fell significantly short of the league’s standards and values.”
Nevertheless, the league determined that the players were eligible to re-sign contracts with NHL teams, but no earlier than Oct. 15, and they would be eligible to play in NHL games no sooner than Dec. 1 — meaning their total time out of the NHL would be nearly two years.
Sole player to provide testimony during legal proceedings
“The Golden Knights are in agreement with the evaluation and decision reached by the NHL and NHLPA,” the team stated in its official announcement. “We are steadfast in upholding the fundamental values that have characterized our organization since its creation, and we expect that our players will continue to embody these standards moving forward.”
Hart was the only player among the five to provide testimony during the trial. He testified in court that he received oral sex from the complainant but that she had consented to the act.
Hart, age 27 and originally from Sherwood Park, Alberta, played his initial six NHL seasons in Philadelphia, amassing a record of 96-93-29 with a 2.94 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage, and six shutouts across 227 games.
He began an indefinite leave from the club on Jan. 23, 2024, before surrendering to police in London. He became an unrestricted free agent after the 2023-24 season, when the Flyers did not extend him a qualifying offer.
Professor observes that Hart joining a U.S. team is unsurprising
Dan Mason, a professor specializing in sport management at the University of Alberta, commented that given Hart’s established history as an NHL player, it was predictable for him to be acquired by an NHL franchise.
“Of all the players that were involved in the trial, I think that he’s the one that had the clearest path back to a career,” Mason told CBC News.
Mason added that Hart’s landing in a U.S.-based market is not coincidental.
“I don’t think U.S. markets really are going to care either way, given that there wasn’t a lot of media coverage of the events and the kinds of scrutiny that you saw in the Canadian markets.”
Mason suggested that the NHL has provided a degree of protection to the Golden Knights, as the league has stated that it conducted its due diligence and determined that it was acceptable for all the acquitted players to participate in the NHL.
“Vegas can always point to the NHL and say this is something that was agreed upon by the NHL and we’re just abiding by the rules set by the league itself,” Mason said. “So I think that kind of gives a little bit of protection to the team.”
The Golden Knights, who are among the favorites to win this season’s Stanley Cup, have been splitting goaltending duties between Adin Hill and Akira Schmid throughout the current season.
Hill has faced challenges, with two losses in extra time, a 3.60 GAA, and an .845 save percentage in three appearances. In contrast, Schmid has secured two wins, maintaining a 1.80 GAA and a .929 save percentage over two appearances.
