Carter Hart Signs Professional Tryout with Vegas Golden Knights

Goaltender Carter Hart has joined the Vegas Golden Knights organization today, marking his return to the National Hockey League after being found not guilty of sexual assault charges this summer.

The Golden Knights announced Hart’s addition on Thursday, stating he has been reinstated by the NHL and NHL Players’ Association. “The Golden Knights are aligned with the process and assessment the NHL and NHLPA made in their decision,” the team said in a statement. “We remain committed to the core values that have defined our organization from its inception and expect that our players will continue to meet these standards moving forward.” Hart, 27, is on a paid tryout expected to convert to an NHL contract, making him eligible to play on December 1.

The case stemmed from an alleged assault following the 2018 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala in London, Ontario, where Hart was a member of Canada’s 2018 under-20 world junior team. He and four other players were criminally charged in 2024 but ultimately found not guilty in July. Hart took an indefinite leave of absence from the Philadelphia Flyers prior to the charges and the team subsequently announced he would not be returning; this decision has significantly impacted the Flyers’ goaltending situation. He spent the interim training in Nashville, choosing not to pursue opportunities to play overseas. For more information on the NHL’s player conduct guidelines, see the NHL’s official website.

While several teams, including the Carolina Hurricanes, reportedly showed interest, Hart will initially report to Vegas for training before joining the Golden Knights’ American Hockey League affiliate in Henderson, Nevada, on November 15. The other four players involved in the case – Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, and Michael McLeod – do not currently have immediate plans to join NHL teams, with McLeod recently signing with a Russian Kontinental Hockey League team. The Golden Knights already have a strong goaltending tandem with Adin Hill and Akira Schmid, as detailed on the team’s official roster page.

Hart has played 227 career NHL games, posting a 2.94 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage, and will now aim to re-establish his NHL career with the Golden Knights.