From hockey exile to playoff spark: Carter Hart’s new chapter with the Golden Knights

DENVER (AP) — So much has changed for Carter Hart since his last Stanley Cup playoffs run. The one constant is his stellar play in net.

In 2020, he was a 21-year-old starting goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers, going 9-6 in their run to the second round in the Eastern Conference during the Toronto bubble, posting a .926 save percentage and two shutouts.

After serving time in hockey exile while mired in the Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal — for which he was acquitted — Hart joined the Vegas Golden Knights last December. He's sparked them in these playoffs, going 9-4 and helping the Golden Knights steal home ice with a 4-2 win at top-seeded Colorado in the opener of their Western Conference Final on Wednesday night.

“We know they’re a good team," said Hart, who has a .920 save percentage in these playoffs while allowing just 2.35 goals per game. “We know they got a lot of skill on their team and we respect that, but you can’t respect them too much. And I thought we did a good job of defending and limiting their time in space and I thought we blocked a lot of shots tonight and got in a lot of lanes and tied up some sticks.”

Hart was stellar in stopping the pucks that reached him, turning away 36 of 38 shots. The only ones he allowed to get through were a between-the-legs aberration by Valeri Nichushkin and a late goal from Gabe Landeskog when the Avs had pulled goaltender Scott Wedgewood on a power play for a two-man advantage.

“Carter Hart’s a hell of a goalie,” said Golden Knights coach John Tortorella, who took over in Vegas on March 29 and who also coached Hart in Philadelphia. "He was great in Philly for me, and we’ve got two good ones, you know. (Adin Hill)'s kind of been put off to the side a little bit, that’s a guy that just won a Stanley Cup a couple years ago.

"But Carter, I think he’s grown so strong mentally. I don’t think much bothers him. He is just zeroed in. And he’s going to have to be, because we’ve got a lot of work to do here.”

The respect is mutual.

“Yeah, I think he’s done a great job coming in here,” Hart said. “It’s never easy coming in late in the season like he did and I think he’s done a tremendous job of just rallying the group and earning the guys’ trust and I really enjoy playing for him. I enjoyed playing for him in Philly and I’m happy he’s here.”

Beginning in early 2024, Hart was placed on an indefinite leave of absence from hockey after he was charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault involving members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team as part of the Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal; he was acquitted of all charges last year and resumed his career with Vegas.

The league reviewed the case and agreed to allow the acquitted defendants to play starting Dec. 1, 2025. Hart was the first of those five Canada junior players to agree to an NHL deal, signing a two-year, $4 million contract before working with Vegas’ American Hockey League affiliate in Henderson, Nevada.

After he agreed to sign, Hart read a statement to reporters that, in part, said he wanted “to show the community my true character and who I am and what I’m about.”

He's also showing how much help he can be for Vegas' hopes of winning another Stanley Cup. He made 10 stops in the scoreless first period as the Golden Knights served notice that they weren't going to be like the Los Angeles Kings or Minnesota Wild, who went a combined 1-8 against Colorado in prior rounds.

“It’s huge,” Hart said. “To come out like we did, I thought we came out really good in the first period and I know this is a hard building to play in and it was huge for us just to get rolling and just start off the right way and then build off that.”

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Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb, back, struggles to control the puck as goaltender Carter Hart, front, runs into Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog during the first period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog, right, tries to redirect the puck as Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart defends during the first period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart deflects a shot during the third period in Game 6 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart, right, stops a shot off the stick of Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog during the third period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

DENVER (AP) — Dylan Coghlan scored his first playoff goal to get Vegas rolling, Carter Hart made 36 saves and the Golden Knights opened the Western Conference Final by holding off the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Trailing 3-0 in the third period, Colorado made it 3-2 with 2:21 remaining on a power-play goal from Gabriel Landeskog. Nic Dowd sealed it for Vegas with an empty-net goal.

Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden also scored for the Golden Knights, who took advantage of several defensive miscommunications by the Avalanche as they juggled their blue-line pairings with Cale Makar sidelined by an upper-body injury.

Coghlan scored his first NHL goal since Dec. 17, 2021. The 28-year-old defenseman spent most of the season in the American Hockey League. He's played the last five postseason games with the recent injury to Jeremy Lauzon.

“When you say Dylan Coghlan to me, I think of no fear,” Vegas coach John Tortorella said. “I think he's one of our best defensemen since he's been with us and in the lineup. ... He's a bit unflappable."

It was a smothering performance most of the game by the Golden Knights as they kept the pressure on goaltender Scott Wedgewood, while controlling the Avalanche's speed through the neutral zone. Vegas also had 23 blocked shots.

“We didn't play a flawless game by any means,” Tortorella said. “We have work to do.”

Valeri Nichushkin had a goal at 5:53 of the third to make it 3-1.

Hart was stellar most of the evening, making one sprawling save after another. He got some help from his post, too, when Logan O’Connor's liner clanged off it in the first period.

“We know they've got a lot of skill on their team, and we respect that,” Hart said. “But you can’t respect them too much, and I thought we did a good job of defending and limiting their time and space.”

Mitch Marner added an assist for Vegas to give him 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in this postseason. It was Dorofeyev’s NHL-leading 10th goal of this postseason. The Golden Knights didn’t have injured captain Mark Stone.

“We’re trying to play our game, not worrying too much about countering off another team," Tortorella explained. "They feel very comfortable in it.”

Game 2 is Friday night in Denver.

The Avalanche dropped their first game at home after winning five straight through the first two rounds. Wedgewood made 24 saves.

“It was kind of a nothing game, and then they got a few goals,” Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon said. "Really good team, obviously, but I thought we did a lot of damage to ourselves. Just guys kind of everywhere. Execution, like I said, needs to be better. Obviously, we’re capable of being a lot better than that.”

Colorado tried some different combinations without Makar. It led to some confusion, with Coghlan sneaking into the middle of the ice and lining a shot through the pads of Wedgewood to break a scoreless game in the second period.

“There's definitely a trickle-down effect to that," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of not having Makar. “But he's not playing. We have find a way.”

Coghlan has bounced around over his career, spending his first two seasons with Vegas before stints with Carolina and Winnipeg. He returned to the Golden Knights last July in part, he said, because of the bonds he'd formed.

“This is probably the best I've felt in my whole career,” said Coghlan, who played in three regular-season games for Vegas this season. “Whoever it is I'm playing with I'm very comfortable out there with them. They make it pretty easy on me. We have some pretty world-class players.”

The Golden Knights and Avalanche are meeting in a best-of-seven series for the second time. In 2021, Colorado won the opening two games of their second-round series before Vegas captured four straight.

“ Definitely things we can get better at,” Landeskog said. “But we knew it was (going to) be a long series.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog, right, blocks the shot by Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev during the second period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood, front, makes a glove save as left wing Gabriel Landeskog, back left, and Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel looks on during the second period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Vegas Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella looks on during the first period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Dylan Coghlan, front, shoots the puck for a goal after driving past Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson during the second period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Dylan Coghlan, front left, is congratulated after scoring a goal by defenseman Shea Theodore, back left, and center Tomas Hertl during the second period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)