Former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart is looking to chart his way back to the NHL after being acquitted in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal back in July. The NHL reinstated Hart and four other former Canadian World Juniors players involved in the case on September 11, which means they are eligible to sign an NHL contract on October 15.
And Hart already appears to be moving quickly, having zeroed in on a “workable number of suitors,” per The Athletic’s Chris Johnston. The Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, and “one or two other teams” are understood to still be in the mix.
Alongside Hart, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, and Michael McLeod can finalize new contracts starting October 1, which will give them enough time to finalize visas and make travel arrangements before the NHL registers the deals on October 15.
“Hart’s main priorities remain finding a landing spot that comes with a clear path to playing time on a team that’s set up for success,” Johnston wrote.
The Golden Knights, who currently have Adin Hill and Akira Schmid as goaltenders, have qualified for the playoffs seven times in the last eight seasons and certainly represent an attractive destination. The same appears to be true for the Hurricanes, who have Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov to give Hart competition.
The 27-year-old previously played in 227 NHL games for the Flyers, second only to Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars among active goaltenders at this age. However, GM Danny Briere had confirmed in a recent statement that both the franchise and Carter Hart's representation thought “a fresh start” was the best option.
Hart was largely seen as the Flyers' long-term goaltender. However, he entered unrestricted free agency in July 2024 before being acquitted by Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia earlier this year.
