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 secure an NHL contract since their acquittal in a high-profile sexual assault case.

Vegas announced the agreement with undisclosed terms for Hart on Thursday, the second day after the signing window opened. However, Hart and the other players—Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, and Alex Formenton—are not eligible to play in NHL games until December 1 as part of the league’s reinstatement process.

“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.”

Michael McLeod, who was also found not guilty of an additional charge of being a party to the offense, has signed a three-year contract with a team in the Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Alex Formenton is currently playing in Switzerland, though it remains unclear if he has an out clause to return to the NHL. Formenton has not played in the NHL since 2022, when he was with the Ottawa Senators.

“Each team is going to have to make its own decision,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday following the league’s Board of Governors meeting in New York. “They know the rules. And it’s up to them to decide whether or not, subject to those rules, they want to move forward.”

Hart, 27, is resuming his NHL career with the Golden Knights after spending his first six seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers recently ruled out bringing Hart back, as his camp communicated to general manager Daniel Briere that a fresh start would be a better option.

The five players were charged in 2024 in connection with an incident that occurred in London, Ontario, in 2018. The judge overseeing the trial ruled that the prosecution could not meet the burden of proof required to convict them and stated that the complainant’s allegations lacked the credibility needed to justify the charges.

The NHL conducted its own investigation beginning in spring 2022, when the allegations came to light. Upon announcing the reinstatement timeline in September, the league described the events as “deeply troubling and unacceptable.” Although the players were not found criminally liable, the NHL stated that their conduct did not meet the standard of moral integrity expected.

The NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) said at the time that the players cooperated fully with every investigation and considers the matter closed.
https://www.clickorlando.com/sports/2025/10/16/carter-hart-agrees-to-join-the-golden-knights-after-being-acquitted-of-sexual-assault/