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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.

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Goaltender Carter Hart is joining the Vegas Golden Knights organization, making his return to the NHL after he was among the five Canadian hockey players found not guilty of sexual assault charges this summer.

The Golden Knights announced Hart’s addition Thursday, noting in a statement that the goalie had been reinstated by the NHL and NHL Players’ Association.

“The Golden Knights are aligned with the process and assessment the NHL and NHLPA made in their decision,” the team said. “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.”

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Sources said Hart, 27, is on a paid tryout that is expected to be converted to an NHL contract. If Vegas signs Hart, he will be eligible to begin playing in the NHL on Dec. 1.

Hart was one of five players on Canada’s 2018 under-20 world junior team who was found not guilty of sexual assault charges in July. The trial in London, Ontario, stemmed from an alleged assault that took place after the 2018 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala. The players were criminally charged in 2024.

The players were on trial for assaulting a woman, known as EM, in a hotel room after she agreed to have consensual sex with McLeod. In her ruling after an eight-week trial, Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia said prosecutors did not meet the onus on any of the counts, and that she did not find EM’s evidence “credible or reliable.”

At the time, Hart was the starting goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers. He took an indefinite leave of absence shortly before the charges were announced, and the Flyers said last month that Hart would not be rejoining the team. Unlike other players involved in the case, Hart chose not to play professionally overseas and instead trained in Nashville.

Sources said Hart will report to Vegas, where he can begin training with the team, according to conditions set by the NHL and NHLPA. He is expected to then go to Henderson, Nevada, and get some game action beginning Nov. 15 with the Golden Knights’ minor league affiliate.

Several teams, including the Carolina Hurricanes, had explored the possibility of signing Hart, sources said.

In March, Vegas signed starting goaltender Adin Hill to a six-year extension. The team also has 25-year-old Akira Schmid under contract for this season.

Hart was a second-round pick by Philadelphia in the 2016 draft. He has played in 227 career NHL games, recording a 2.94 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.

The other four players in the Team Canada case — Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton and Michael McLeod — are not expected to join NHL teams in the immediate future, sources said. The Ottawa Senators hold Formenton’s rights but are not expected to sign him, although other teams have explored trading for his rights. McLeod signed a three-year deal earlier this month to play in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.

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The Vegas Golden Knights announced Thursday they agreed to a contract with goaltender Carter Hart, who was one of the five former members of Canada’s world junior hockey team who were found not guilty in July of sexually assaulting a woman in 2018.

Vegas released a statement along with its announcement:

“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. 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.”

Hart, Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, Dillon Dubé and Michael McLeod were all found not guilty in a verdict in which Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia said prosecutors were unable to meet the burden of proof of the allegations.

The Associated Press noted police initially closed their investigation without charges in 2019 but reopened it after the complainant sued Hockey Canada in 2022. Hockey Canada ended up settling the lawsuit.

The players were then charged in 2024. Four of them were on NHL rosters at the time, while Formenton was playing for HC Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland’s National League. The players took a “leave of absence” following the charges and were then not tendered qualifying offers after the 2023-24 campaign.

Last month, the NHL announced the players were eligible to sign contracts starting Oct. 15 and can play in games starting Dec. 1.

“The events that transpired after the 2018 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala in London, Ontario, prior to these players’ arrival in the NHL, were deeply troubling and unacceptable,” the league said in its statement. “The League expects everyone connected with the game to conduct themselves with the highest level of moral integrity. And, in this case, while found not to have been criminal, the conduct of the players involved certainly did not meet that standard.”

According to the statement, the NHL also opened its own third-party investigation in 2022 but paused it in 2024 when criminal charges were filed.Â

“In relying on both our own investigation, and the conclusions reached by Justice Carroccia in her opinion, and the players’ acquittal, the League has determined that the conduct at issue falls woefully short of the standards and values that the League and its Member Clubs expect and demand,” it said.

The NHL explained it evaluated the entire situation, the acquittal in court and the reality the players have been away from the game for 20 months and came up with the timeline it did since being eligible to play in games starting in December would mean approximately two years out of the league.

Hart previously played for the Philadelphia Flyers from 2018-19 through 2023-24 and appeared in 227 games with 218 starts. He has a career save percentage of .906 and a goals against average of 2.94.

Vegas is off to a 2-0-2 start to the 2025-26 season and next plays against the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

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(Content warning: This story contains descriptions of alleged sexual assault.)

Carter Hart, one of the five hockey players who in July were acquitted of sexual assault stemming from a 2018 incident, is joining the Vegas Golden Knights organization, the team announced Thursday.

“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 team said in a statement. “The Golden Knights are aligned with the process and assessment the NHL and NHLPA made in their decision. 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.”

After initially ruling in July that the five players were ineligible from returning to the NHL, the league announced in September that the players would be able to sign contracts as of Oct. 15 and be fully reinstated to play on Dec. 1.

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Hart has signed a tryout deal with the Golden Knights, which will then be converted into a standard contract reportedly worth $3.6 million over two years. He is currently able to practice and is eligible to play minor league games in the AHL beginning on Nov. 15.

The 27-year-old Hart was a second-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2016. He made 218 starts between 2018 and 2024, posting a 96-93-29 record and a .906 save percentage with six shutouts. His last appearance in the NHL came during a game against the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 20, 2024.

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Hart, along with Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton, were found not guilty by a London, Ontario, judge after being accused dating back to a 2018 incident when the five players were in London for a gala and golf tournament in honor of their championship win as part of Canadaâ€s world junior hockey team. A woman, known as E.M. in the trial, has alleged that the players sexually assaulted her over several hours in a hotel room after the event.

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Judge Maria Carroccia started her verdict by saying that she did not find E.M.’s testimony to be “credible or reliable,” later noting that her story had inconsistencies. She also felt that prosecutors did not prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, giving her the need to lean towards acquittal.

“Having found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of E.M. and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me,” the judge said earlier in the ruling.

The case was reopened after E.M. reached an undisclosed settlement with Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League in 2022. That lawsuit had alleged that eight players, who were unnamed at the time, had been involved.

Charges were not filed until 2024, when the names of five players who were charged were revealed. Other players were involved but did not face charges, having allegedly left the hotel room before the assault took place; those players were called to the stand to testify on the night in question.

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Four of the players — McLeod, Hart, Dubé and Foote — were playing in the NHL at the time that charges were filed, while Formenton was playing in Switzerland.

McLeod recently signed with Russia’s Avangard Omsk; Formenton is in his third season with HC Ambrì-Piotta of the Swiss League; while Foote and Dubé remain free agents.

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The Golden Knights made the announcement in a statement on Thursday. Hart will be signing a professional tryout contract, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.

“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 said. “The Golden Knights are aligned with the process and assessment the NHL and NHLPA made in their decision. 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.”

Hart, formerly of the Philadelphia Flyers, took an indefinite leave of absence in January 2024 after he was charged with one count of sexual assault after a London Police Service investigation into events involving the 2018 Canadian world junior team.

Carter, along with the other four players charged, was acquitted on July 24 but was later suspended by the NHL until Dec. 1.

Drafted 48th overall in 2016 by the Flyers, Hart played six seasons in Philadelphia. A native of Sherwood Park, Alta., Hart made 26 appearances in 2024, recording a 2.80 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.

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Carter Hart has his next NHL opportunity.

He officially joined the Golden Knights organization Thursday, the team announced. According to a report by TSN’s Darren Dreger, Hart has signed a professional tryout offer, which will eventually convert into an NHL deal.

Wednesday was the first day Hart and four other players involved in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial were eligible to sign with an NHL club. The former Flyers goalie will be eligible to play for Vegas on Dec. 1. The Golden Knights are a consensus Stanley Cup contender this season.

Vegas visits the Flyers on Dec. 11 (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP) and then the clubs meet again Jan. 19 on the West Coast (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).

Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were found not guilty in July almost a year and a half after being charged with sexual assault, stemming from a June 2018 incident in London, Ontario.

Danny Briere said in September that Hart’s agent contacted the Flyers and pretty much ruled out the possibility of a reunion between the club and goaltender. It’s uncertain if the Flyers had interest in bringing Hart back.

“In light of everything that happened in the last year and a half with Carter, they felt and Carter felt that it was better for them to look for a fresh start,” the Flyers general manager said then. “That’s where it’s at and it’s the only comment I’m going to make on it.”

The Flyers cut ties with Hart in June 2024 when they didn’t issue him a qualifying offer, turning his restricted free-agent status into unrestricted. He had been away from the team since January 2024 after being granted an indefinite leave of absence.

The 27-year-old started in five straight season openers for the Flyers from 2019-20 to 2023-24. He played parts of six seasons for the club.

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New York Knicks forward Josh Hart was ejected from the teamâ€s 2025-26 NBA preseason-opening matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for throwing the ball into the stands after appearing to suffer a non-contact injury early in the second quarter.

After rebounding a missed 3-pointer from Sixers rookie Johni Broome, Hart turned and began to dribble up the court. As Philadelphia guard Kennedy Chandler gave chase, Hart stumbled and slipped down to the floor, wincing in pain as he went down; Chandler reached down to tie him up, forcing a jump ball.

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Once the whistle blew, a frustrated Hart flung the ball away before rolling and writhing in front of the 76ers†bench, with Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse leaning down to check on him. Hart stayed down for a few moments before getting up, seemingly favoring his lower back and walking gingerly back to the Knicks†locker room. He wouldnâ€t come back out: The ball-toss earned him a technical foul and an ejection, bringing a premature end to his preseason debut. Hart finished with 2 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist in just over seven minutes of playing time.

After starting all 77 of his regular-season appearances in 2024-25, Hart came off the bench for the preseason opener, as new Knicks head coach Mike Brown opted to start big men Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns together — in keeping with a change that predecessor Tom Thibodeau made (at Hartâ€s behest) during the Knicks†Eastern Conference finals loss to the Pacers in May and in a potential preview of a starting lineup change that was one of a number of topics of discussion at Knicks media day prior to their trip to Abu Dhabi. Brown cautioned against reading too much into preseason practices and combinations, saying the teamâ€s starting lineup “will materialize throughout camp†and he planned to “be methodical with [his] approach†in determining a starting five for the beginning of the regular season.

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Whether he starts or comes off the bench, though, Hart — fresh off a career year, averaging 13.6 points on 52.5% shooting to go with 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals in a league-leading 37.6 minutes per game last season — is expected to play a major role on a Knicks team that enters the season harboring championship aspirations. Heâ€s already working through an issue with his right ring finger that has him playing with a splint on his shooting hand; the Knicks and their fans will hope that the back injury that led to him grimacing on the ground before heaving the ball and getting the heave-ho isnâ€t serious enough to compound his physical woes at the start of the season.

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According to Chris Johnston of The Athletic, Carter Hart is still considering signing with the Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes and one or two more unnamed teams.

The NHL announced earlier this month that it was reinstating the five players including Hart who were acquitted of sexual assault charges stemming from an incident in 2018 when they were members of Canadaâ€s world junior team, and that they will be eligible to sign a contract Oct. 15 and take part in games Dec. 1.

“Itâ€s getting down to decision time for Carter Hart, obviously a free agent ever since the NHL earlier this month cleared him and his teammates from the Hockey Canada trial for reinstatement into the league,†Johnston said.

“And where Hart has been since then is working through the available options. Heâ€s down to about three to four potential teams at this point in time, two of those teams I can tell you are the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes. And the expectation here is in the coming day or two or maybe three, he will start to rule out some of those remaining teams, obviously pick where he is going.â€

The Hurricanes are going into the season with Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov as their main goalies.

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NHL teams seeking goaltending depth for
the coming season are rumored to be turning to Carter Hart for help.

Hart, 27, was among the five members of
Canada’s 2018 world junior team who were acquitted in July of sexual
assault charges stemming from an incident in London, Ont., in
2018. They are eligible to have contracts registered with the NHL by Oct. 15, but they won’t be able to play until their suspensions end on Dec. 1.

It was rumored that the Philadelphia
Flyers might be interested in bringing back Hart, who played with
them from 2018 to 2024. However, GM Daniel Briere
indicated the goalie’s representative informed them that it would be better for his client to have a fresh start elsewhere.

The Edmonton Oilers were rumored to be
a potential destination for Hart, but GM Stan Bowman ruled out that
option. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas shrugged off a
rumor linking his club to Hart.

On Monday, Chris Johnston of The
Athletic reported Hart had narrowed down his choices to a handful of
teams, including the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights.

Johnston indicated that Hart wants to
find a destination where he can get playing time on a team built to
succeed. The Golden Knights have qualified for the playoffs in seven
of the last eight seasons, while the Hurricanes reached the Eastern
Conference final in two of the last three seasons.

The Utah Mammoth were also thought to
be a suitor for Hart, but Johnston reported they’re no longer in the
bidding.

Speaking of the Oilers, Kurt Leavins of
the Edmonton Journal reported some recent speculation tied
them to Yegor Chinakhov of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Chinakhov, 24, created a stir in July
when his agent requested a trade, citing “misunderstandings†with
Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason. The young forward is
participating in training camp but hasn’t rescinded his request.

Leavins observed that Chinakhov is in
the final season of his two-year contract with a cap hit of $2.1
million. However, the Oilers’ limited cap space and Chinakhov’s
injury history are among the reasons why he’s unlikely to land in
Edmonton.

The Hockey News’ Jason Newland recently reported Chinakhov seems open to staying with the Blue
Jackets. In a response to a question from The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, Chinakhov told reporters he and Evason have a better understanding
following a recent meeting between the two.

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  Tim BontempsSep 23, 2025, 12:43 PM ET

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  Tim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what’s impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. – New York Knicks guard Josh Hart said Tuesday that he reaggravated the right finger injury that he had a procedure on back in June, and said that he plans to play the entire season without fixing the problem for a second time.

“I’m just trying to get used to it, and then get through the season with it,” Hart said Tuesday at New York’s season-opening media day at its Westchester practice facility.

“I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I obviously got a procedure on it and then kinda re-aggravated it somewhat recently. So probably just rock out with a splint this season and try to fix it again next summer.”

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The Knicks announced Hart underwent a procedure on his right ring finger back on July 16 to correct an injury sustained during New York’s run to the Eastern Conference finals – the first time the Knicks advanced that far in a quarter century. They also said, at the time, that Hart would resume basketball activities later this summer but Hart said, Tuesday, he realized he was still having issues with the finger.

And while he indicated he will play through the injury, he also didn’t directly answer when he was asked if surgery is completely off the table to correct the issue before next offseason.

“It’s something that a lot of people have,” Hart said. “I don’t think about it too much. I just try to go out there and play how I play, and if I can’t play how I play and be aggressive and kind of have that toughness mentality I normally play with, then I have to figure out a different path.

“But right now, the full expectation is to go out there and hoop and help this team be successful.”

Hart admitted playing with a splint is less than ideal and that he still is getting his head around playing with it on all season.

“I hope not,” he said with a smile, when asked if the splint will cause him any issues. “I’m still trying to figure it out. Me personally, I hate playing with anything on my hand. I don’t feel like I have a good feel for it. It might take a little getting used to, but that’s the best scenario for me right now…And I’m going to do everything I can to be out there with these guys.”

One of the looming questions over the franchise heading into training camp was whether Hart would once again be in the starting lineup, like he was for the vast majority of last season, or whether Mitchell Robinson would take his place like he did during the Knicks’ playoff run, partially at Hart’s urging.

Hart is coming off the best season of his career, having averaged 13.6 points and career-highs of 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals last season in 77 regular season games – all starts – for the Knicks. On multiple occasions, head coach Mike Brown declined to say in what direction he’ll go when everyone is healthy.

But Hart, while admitting he believes he should be a starter, said he will ultimately be fine with whatever direction Brown chooses.

“Yeah, if I don’t start, I’ll probably ask for a trade, go somewhere else,” Hart joked. “I had the best year of my career last year, but that’s in the past.

“I think I deserve to be a starter in the league. But, at the end of the day, it’s what’s best for the team. Last year, I talked about sacrifice the whole time and kind of being that separate mentality and being a good steward of my gifts and those kinds of things. So I think it would be extremely selfish for me to go out there and demand to start and all those kinds of things.”

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