Goaltender Carter Hart has agreed to sign with the Vegas Golden Knights, becoming the first of the five 2018 Canada world junior hockey players to land an NHL contract since they were acquitted of sexual assault in a high-profile case.
Vegas announced an agreement with undisclosed terms for Hart on Thursday, the second day after the window opened for the players to sign.
Hart and the others are not eligible to play in games until Dec. 1 as part of the league’s reinstatement process for him, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton.
Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said he didn't know if Hart would be with the team on a daily basis until he's eligible to play.
“I expect him to be here with us this week,” Cassidy said. "He hasn’t played in a while. He needs some work. I think he would be the first to acknowledge that.”
Hart told reporters at the Golden Knights’ facility in Las Vegas that he wanted “to show the community my true character and who I am and what I’m about."
“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.”
McLeod, who was also found not guilty of an additional charge of being a party to the offense, signed a three-year contract in the Russia-based KHL. Formenton is playing in Switzerland, though it is unclear if he has an out clause to return to the NHL, which he has not played in since 2022 with Ottawa.
“Each team is going to have to make its own decision," Commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday after the NHL's Board of Governors meeting in New York. “They know the rules. And it’s up to them to decide whether or not, subject to those rules, they want to move forward.”
Hart is resuming his career at the age of 27 with the Golden Knights after spending his first six seasons playing for Philadelphia. The Flyers last month ruled out bringing back Hart, whose camp communicated to general manager Daniel Briere that a fresh start was a better option.
That turned out to be Vegas, where at this point Adin Hill and Akira Schmid serve as the goalies.
“I’m beyond grateful, excited and honored to be part of the Golden Knights,” Hart said. “Got a great skate today with (goalie coach Sean) Burke and a few guys.
“It’s been a long road to get back to this point, getting back to playing the game of hockey, the game that I love. I’ve been out of the game for a year and a half now. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve grown a lot. Just excited to move forward.”
Hart played six seasons for the Flyers, going 96-93-29 with a 2.94 goals-against average.
“Good goalie," Vegas captain Mark Stone said. "Happy to welcome him to the culture of the Vegas Golden Knights. Looking forward to have him be one of our goaltenders.”
Signing Hart is another example of the lengths the Golden Knights will go to try to win the Stanley Cup. It's an organization that will take big chances, and many have worked in its favor.
This is certainly a gamble. If Hart doesn't produce, the Golden Knights will have put the organization through a lot of unneeded headaches. But if he plays well and the team wins, it's likely the Golden Knights will make this less of a story as they chase the Cup.
“We know how the guys upstairs work," Jack Eichel said. "They know what they’re doing. I think when you speak to people who know Carter, they have a lot of good things to say about his character and who he is as a person. We’re really looking forward to having him and moving forward.”
The players were charged in 2024 in connection with an incident in London, Ontario, in 2018. The judge overseeing the trial said the prosecution could not meet the onus of proof to convict them and that complainant’s allegations lacked the credibility needed to justify the charges.
The league conducted its own investigation beginning in the spring of 2022 when the allegations came to light. When announcing the reinstatement timeline in September, the NHL called the events that transpired “deeply troubling and unacceptable” and that while they were not found to be criminal, said the players’ conduct did not meet the standard of moral integrity.
The NHLPA at the time said the players cooperated with every investigation and considers the matter closed.
AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson and freelance writer W.G. Ramirez in Las Vegas contributed to this report.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
FILE - Hockey player Carter Hart, right, arrives at the London Courthouse in London, Ontario, Thursday, July 24, 2025. (Nicole Osborne/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
FILE - Philadelphia Flyers' goaltender Carter Hart guards the net during an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Jan. 20, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton, File)
FILE - Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart waits for play to resume during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)
