G Carter Hart to join Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday announced that goaltender Carter Hart will be joining the organization.

Hart became eligible to sign with an NHL team after he was one of five players acquitted of sexual assault charges stemming from an incident in 2018 when they were members of Canada's World Junior Championship gold-medal team.

The NHL ruled the players -- Hart, forwards Dillon Dube, Michael McLeod and Alex Formenton, and defenseman Cal Foote -- were eligible to sign an NHL contract no sooner than Oct. 15, and eligible to take part in games no sooner than Dec. 1. McLeod has since signed with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League.

"Following the reinstatement decision agreed on by the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association, goaltender Carter Hart will be joining the Vegas Golden Knights organization," the team said in a statement. "The Golden Knights are aligned with the process and assessment the NHL and NHLPA made in their decision. 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."

Hart joins a Golden Knights squad that features goaltenders Adin Hill and Akira Schmid. Hill, however, sustained a lower-body injury during Vegas' 4-2 victory against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

Hart, 27, posted a 96-93-29 record with six shutouts, a 2.94 goals-against average and .906 save percentage in 227 career games (218 starts) with the Flyers. He was selected by Philadelphia in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft.

--Field Level Media