NHL Notebook: Carter Hart joins Vegas Golden Knights on PTO

“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,” said Vegas in a statement released by the team on  “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.”

Reports from multiple insiders indicate that Hart is joining the team on a professional tryout contract, with an NHL contract expected to be signed in the future.

Hart was one of five players charged with one count of sexual assault after an alleged incident occurred in June 2018 when Hockey Canada was celebrating their gold medal win at the 2018 World Junior Championship in London, Ontario. Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton and Michael McLeod were the other four players charged.

All five players pleaded guilty when the trial began on April 2025. In July, all five players were found not guilty on all charges by Ontario Justice Maria Carroccia, who said that she did not find the complainant to be “credible or reliable”.

After the five players were found not guilty, the NHL and NHLPA agreed that the players would not be eligible to sign new NHL contracts until October 15th, and would be suspended from NHL play until December 1st.

Hart had been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers as a potential landing spot once he was eligible, largely due to the uncertainty in the crease for both organizations. However, he joins a Golden Knights team that is looking for depth beyond Adin Hill and Akira Schmid.

While they could have used that depth right now with Hill out of the lineup, Hart won’t be able to play in the NHL until his suspension is finished. Hart will play with the Henderson Silver Knights in the AHL at some point in his return to NHL hockey.