Golden Knights Sign Carter Hart to Tryout Contract After Assault Trial Acquittal

He hasn't played in the NHL since Jan. 2024.

Carter Hart is back in the NHL following a sexual-assault trial in Canada. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Golden Knights are signing goalie Carter Hart to a professional tryout contract after his July 24 acquittal in a high-profile Canadian sexual-assault trial, the team announced Thursday afternoon.

"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," Vegas 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."

Justice Maria Carroccia of the Ontario Superior Court found Hart and four of his teammates on Canada's 2018 World Junior Championships team—center Dillon Dubé, defenseman Callan Foote, left wing Alex Formenton, goalie Carter Hart, and center Michael McLeod—not guilty following a two-month trial. The trial stemmed from an accusation of sexual assault toward the five players in April 2022, based on an incident alleged to have taken place in June 2018.

Widely discussed across Canada, the case evolved into an all-inclusive reckoning with the culture of hockey in the country—which included parliamentary investigations.

Hart, 27, has not played in the NHL since suiting up for the Flyers in Jan. 2024

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