"I've heard nothing but great things about the city, the community, the fanbase, the organization; I got to meet a lot of people today. I'm so excited ... to show the community my true character and who I am and what I'm about," Carter Hart
LAS VEGAS -- Carter Hart spoke to reporters after his workout as a member of the Golden Knights.
Hart, who cannot play in the NHL before Dec. 1, was one of the five members of Canada’s 2018 world juniors team who were found not guilty of sexual assault in a trial that took place earlier this year in London, Ont.
"I'm beyond grateful, excited and honored to be part of the Golden Knights," Hart said. "Got a great skate today with (goalie coach Sean) Burke and a few guys.
"It's been a long road to get back to this point, getting back to playing the game of hockey, the game that I love. I've been out of the game for a year and a half now. I've learned a lot. I've grown a lot. Just excited to move forward."
The other players are Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Cal Foote.
Hart, and the other four players who sign contracts, won’t be able to begin conditioning with their teams until Nov. 15 or play in the NHL until Dec. 1.
Hart hasn’t played an NHL game since Jan. 20, 2024. He made 25 starts in what was his sixth season for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2023-24, when he recorded a 2.80 goals-against average, .906 save percentage, one shutout and 12-9-3 record before stepping away from the team.
Vegas starting goalie Adin Hill suffered a lower-body injury during its game against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. He didn’t return after the first period, and after participating in morning skate on Thursday, will serve as backup to Akira Schmid, who subbed in to play the final two periods against the Flames.
Hart can officially make his Golden Knights debut as early as Dec. 2 when Vegas hosts the Chicago Blackhawks.
"I've heard nothing but great things about the city, the community, the fanbase, the organization and I got to meet a lot of people today, and I'm so excited to get the chance to play in front of them, and for them," Hart said. "And, just get to show the community my true character and who I am and what I'm about.
"I got to meet some guys here today. Everybody's been very welcoming. I'm just looking forward to getting things rolling here, getting to work alongside all these guys, getting to know them all, and continuing to build on the championship culture that's been established here in Las Vegas."