Hart’s league-mandated suspension expired Monday, making him eligible to play in an NHL game for the first time in nearly two years. He is one of five former members of Canada’s World Juniors team who were found not guilty of sexual assault charges during a hearing in July. The league suspended Hart and others after deciding that their conduct did not meet the “highest level of moral integrity” standard that the league expects of its players.
After Monday’s practice, Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy would not commit to Hart starting Tuesday, but Hart indicated it could be an option.
“I think preparation is everything for me,” Hart said after Monday’s skate. “I’ve worked hard to get back to this point, and to me, the key in life is preparation. I’ve done everything I can to be ready, and if I get the call tomorrow I’ll be ready.”
Hart spent the final two weeks of his suspension on a conditioning loan with the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. He played in three games for the Silver Knights, going 1–2–0 while allowing nine goals on 56 shots for an .839 save percentage.
“The report (from Henderson) was that he played well,” Cassidy said. “In the last game, he allowed some unfortunate goals late. The goal for Henderson was to get him back to live reps. He can practice with us, with the NHL shooters, but the traffic around the net, screens and all that kind of stuff, it can be difficult to replicate sometimes. We’re less concerned about results, and more concerned about getting reps and getting used to that stuff.”
If Hart plays on Tuesday, it will have been 22 months and 12 days since his last NHL appearance for the Philadelphia Flyers on January 20, 2024. Hart signed a two-year, $4 million contract with Vegas in October.
“I’ve been practicing for a year and a half now, so it was nice to get into a real game,” Hart said. “You get different scenarios that you can’t replicate in practice… broken plays, screens, tips, layered traffic, things like that. The first game, I was a little nervous. The second game was good. The third game, there were some weird bounces. It was kind of a weird game, but it felt good to play again.”
Hart played 227 games over six seasons with the Flyers, going 96-93-29 with a .906 save percentage and a -11.92 goals-against average.
“Obviously, there will be nerves,” Hart said of his eventual return. “I get nervous before every game, but that’s only because I care about it so much. At the end of the day, those nerves turn into excitement. This is a game I’ve played my whole life. I’ve played a lot of hockey in the NHL. I’ve been here before. I haven’t played in a while, but it feels good to get back out there, just get playing again and get things going here in Vegas.”
The Golden Knights need reinforcements at the crease. They are without goaltender Adin Hill after he missed the October 20 game against Calgary with a lower body injury. In his absence, Akira Schmid and rookie Carl Lindbom have shared the net. During that span, Vegas has gone 6-6-6 with a team save percentage of .876 (eighth-worst in the NHL).
Vegas reassigned Lindbom to the AHL on Sunday, establishing a rotation between Schmidt and Hart until Hill returns from injury.
“Akira has played well as well, so we have to make sure he stays sharp,” Cassidy said. “I’m sure you’ll see a lot of both goalies, but Carter has waited a long time to play, so he’ll definitely get his share of starts.”
After Tuesday’s home game against Chicago, the Golden Knights will go on a five-game road trip to New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Columbus.
“We have to be patient, no matter what the outcome,” Cassidy said. “We don’t know what he’s going to be. We’re all expecting him to go out there and do great in his first game, but having missed so much time, I’m expecting rust. To take the rust off, you’ve got to keep playing, so he’ll get his good starts going, and hopefully he’ll get a little more comfortable each time.”
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