Carter Hart makes NHL comeback after Hockey Canada trial acquittal

Carter Hart, one of five players acquitted in the high-profile Hockey Canada trial, continued his return to the National Hockey League on Sunday

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Carter Hart, one of five players acquitted in the high-profile Hockey Canada trial, continued his return to the National Hockey League on Sunday with his second overtime win in as many starts for the Vegas Golden Knights, making 32 saves in a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers at the historic Madison Square Garden.

The 27-year-old goaltender’s winning performance followed his official return earlier in the week — nearly two years after his last NHL appearance and several months after Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia acquitted him and four other former world junior teammates in July 2024 of sexual assault charges related to an alleged incident at the Delta Armouries Hotel in London, Ont., on June 18, 2018.

In her written decision, Carroccia found she could not rely on the evidence of the complainant—identified only as E.M. under a standard sexual assault trial publication ban—citing inconsistencies and a lack of credibility in her testimony.

In multiple submissions that included police interviews, two “consent videos,” and several witness testimonies, the court heard that E.M. called the men “p*ssies” for not wanting to have sex with her and that she “got upset” because no one wanted to have sex with her.

Hart was the only co-accused in the trial to testify.

Justice Carrocia, in recounting Hart’s testimony and other evidence reviewed in court, described Hart’s activities on the evening in question as an “incident of oral sex” that was “brief” and “ended by him (Hart).”

The eventual not-guilty verdict and acquittal brought an end to a trial that drew intense scrutiny on Hockey Canada and the NHL, with the league lifting suspensions on December 1 of this year.

Prior to signing a two-year, $4 million deal with Vegas last month, Hart was linked in rumours to teams like the Philadelphia Flyers and Edmonton Oilers.

As the starting goaltender for Canada’s 2018 World Junior Championship-winning team, Hart is the first of the five acquitted players to return to the NHL.

His fellow defendants, meanwhile, are charting their own varied paths forward following their acquittals.

Defenceman Cal Foote, who was accused of doing the splits over E.M.’s face, signed a standard AHL contract with the Chicago Wolves on December 1, affiliating with the Carolina Hurricanes, as he seeks to rebuild his career.

Centreman Michael McLeod, the only player saddled with an additional charge of being “party to an offence” for inviting other players to his room for food and a “three-way quick,” signed a three-year deal with Avangard Omsk in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) back in October.

Winger and former World Juniors team captain Dillon Dubé, who is accused of “spanking” E.M. “so hard” and allegedly losing the championship trophy after being one of the last players to leave the bar before returning to the hotel, remains unsigned and an unrestricted free agent.

Forward Alex Formenton, meanwhile, is currently playing professional hockey for HC Ambrì-Piotta in the Swiss National League. His court battles aren’t entirely behind him yet. He has an Ontario Superior Court hearing scheduled for January 22, related to a $20.5 million lawsuit against his former agent.