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 leagueâ€s reinstatement process for him, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton.
“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.â€
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 NHLâ€s Board of Governors meeting in New York. “They know the rules. And itâ€s up to them to decide whether or not, subject to those rules, they want to move forward.â€
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.
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 complainantâ€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.