The worst-kept secret in the NHL has finally become a reality.
The worst-kept secret in the NHL has finally become a reality.
On Thursday, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, the Vegas Golden Knights officially signed goaltender Carter Hart to a tryout deal.
“Following the reinstatement decision agreed on by the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association, goaltender Carter Hart will be joining the Vegas Golden Knights organization. The Golden Knights are aligned with the process and assessment the NHL and NHLPA made in their decision,” the team said in a released statement.
“We remain committed to the core values that have defined our organization from its inception and expect that our players continue to meet these standards going forward."
The move comes two days after goaltender Adin Hill suffered a lower-body injury in the Golden Knights’ 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames and a day after Hart was eligible to sign with any NHL team.
Hart holds a career .906 save percentage and 2.94 goals against average in 227 games, all with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Despite the sudden need, however, the decision of the Golden Knights to sign Hart comes with serious controversy attached to it.
In early 2024, Hart and four other members of the 2018 World Junior Canadian team were charged with sexual assault of an unnamed woman. However, all five players were acquitted in July due to a lack of reliable evidence.
The ruling has not stopped Golden Knights fans from voicing their displeasure about the move. It is easily the most controversial roster move made by the team since they decided to trade franchise goaltender and icon Marc-Andre Fleury to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021.
However, the Golden Knights and the NHL have been willing to allow controversial characters back into the league before.
Two of the Golden Knights’ top prospects in forwards Trevor Connelly and Kai Uchacz came into the organization with checkered pasts, but both have made concerted efforts to restore their public images since then.
From the NHL’s perspective, look no further than Stan Bowman and Joel Quenneville. The general manager and head coach went from key cogs of the Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane-lead Chicago Blackhawks dynasty of the 2010s to out of the NHL entirely in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal involving then-video coach Brad Aldrich. However, both have made their way back to hockey, with Bowman taking the general manager position of the Edmonton Oilers in 2024, while Quenneville took the head coaching job of the Anaheim Ducks this offseason.
It is part of the underbelly of hockey culture that the sport can be possibly too forgiving of figures with sordid pasts, especially if they have been successful prior to the incidents in question.
Similar to Connelly and Uchacz, however, the Golden Knights likely did their due diligence and used the resources they had at their disposal to make an informed decision.
One of Hart’s new teammates is forward Brett Howden, who was also part of the 2018 Canadian team and testified during the trial. General manager Kelly McCrimmon would also be familiar with what Hart brings to the table, as he served as general manager and owner of the Brandon Wheat Kings while the goaltender flashed his potential with the Everett Silvertips in the Western Hockey League.
Hart will not be eligible to play for the Golden Knights until Dec. 1, meaning the team will have to rely on Akira Schmid and likely Carl Lindbom at the moment.
Should Hart be able to bounce back and enjoy even moderate success with Vegas, it could serve as one of hockey’s great redemption stories.
It may involve some long nights for the public relations staff, though.
Category: General Sports
