Vegas Golden Knights goalie Carter Hart has helped lead the franchise to a surprise berth in the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals — but some critics argue he shouldn’t even be on the ice.
In February 2024, Hart, 27, and four other players were charged with sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room during their time on the Team Canada world junior hockey team in 2018. At the time, Hart was a member of the Philadelphia Flyers organization.
All five men were found not guilty in July 2025 after a months-long trial, which was preceded by a mistrial. In her decision, Judge Maria Carroccia said she did not find the evidence presented “credible or reliable.”
At the time of the ruling, Hart was not allowed to play in the NHL after all five players were deemed ineligible due to their allegedly “deeply troubling and unacceptable” behavior.
In October 2025, three months after being acquitted, Hart signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Golden Knights.
After taking over the starting job late in the regular season, Hart has been stellar in the postseason, a major force in guiding Vegas to securing their spot in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes, which begin on Tuesday, June 2.
For more on the Carter Hart controversy, keep reading.
What Was Carter Hart Accused of Doing?
Hart and four other players — Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote — were accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a London, Ontario, hotel room in June 2018, after winning the 2018 World Junior Championships.
After being formally charged, all four men pleaded not guilty.
The woman alleged that she met McLeod at a popular bar in London and left to have consensual sex with him at his hotel.
After they had sex, the woman alleged that McLeod invited his four teammates to his room to have sex with her, without her knowledge or consent.
During her testimony at trial, the woman claimed she was forced to have oral sex with McLeod, Hart and Dubé and vaginal sex with Formenton, in addition to other non-consenual sexual acts.
Hart was the only player to take the stand during the trial. During his testimony, he admitted to engaging in oral sex with the woman, but said it was consensual.
Text messages sent by Hart to his teammates were read during the trial, which were sent after it was discovered that Hockey Canada was investigating the alleged assault.
“Honestly boys, nobody did anything wrong,” Hart wrote. “Like we got consent to anything that she did. She was the one begging for guys to bang her.”
What Was the Verdict in the Carter Hart Trial?
Hart and all four of his Team Canada teammates were found not guilty in July 2025.
“Having found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of [the accuser] 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,” Justice Maria Carroccia said.
Carroccia said she did not find the evidence presented “credible or reliable.”
“Today’s outcome was not just predictable — it was predicted,” Hart’s attorney Megan Savard told reporters after the verdict.
Prosecuting lawyer Karen Bellehumeur said she was “very disappointed” with the judge’s ruling and the impact it would have on her client.
“She’s really never experienced not being believed like this before,” Bellehumeur said.
Bellehumeur urged that Hart and his teammates “have been declared not innocent, but simply not proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
What Has Carter Hart Said About the Accusations Against Him?
After signing with the Golden Knights in October 2025, Hart told reporters he was ready “to show the community my true character and who I am and what I’m about.”
“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,” he continued. “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.”
During Stanley Cup Finals media day on Monday, June 1, Hart was asked to provide an update about how he’s grown.
“I’ve been able to meet a lot of good people in the community,” Hart said. “I think the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation has done a really good job of making it easy for me to integrate into the community and meet a lot of cool people. Just really fortunate to be here in Vegas. It’s a great culture of people. Like I said, I’ve met a lot of cool people and just very fortunate to be here in Las Vegas and with this group.”
Hart’s media session was abruptly stopped after his answer, cutting off his scheduled 15-minute press conference after just six minutes.
What Have the Golden Knights Said About Carter Hart?
Vegas general manager, Kelly McCrimmon, was asked about the decision to sign Hart at Stanley Cup media day on Monday.
“We went through a lengthy process of due diligence with Carter,” McCrimmon, 65, told reporters. “Carter is a really good person. He’s ingrained himself in our community. He’s a player that I’ve known a long time, long prior to him becoming an NHL player. Playing very well. Obviously a big part of how our team is at this point that we’re at today, and he’s fit in seamlessly with his teammates.”
Hart has had the support of his Golden Nights teammates, as well.
“Looking forward to having him be one of our goaltenders,” Vegas captain, Mark Stone, said after Hart’s signing in October 2025. “I think he’s excited to join the group. … Happy to have him here, happy to welcome him to our team, to our family and incorporate him into the culture that we have.”
Forward Jack Eichel added at the time, “We’re looking forward to having him, and it’s a great opportunity for him to get to play hockey again. I think with the people we have here and our organization, I think it’s going to be great for him to be able to do that again. I’m sure he’s looking forward to being a hockey player.”
