LAS VEGAS — Carter Hart said he’s “excited to move forward” after signing with the Golden Knights on Thursday, three months after being acquitted of sexual assault.

Hart, 27, was one of five players from Canada’s 2018 World Junior team that were charged with sexual assault in February 2024. All five were acquitted in July.

The goaltender was eligible to sign Wednesday, but will not be able to play until Dec. 1. He will start on a professional tryout deal that will turn into an NHL contract.

“I’m beyond grateful, excited and honored to be a part of the Golden Knights,” Hart said at his locker stall at City National Arena. “It’s been a long road to get back to this point, to get back to the game of hockey, the game that I love.”

Hart has not played in an NHL game since January 2024, when he was with the Philadelphia Flyers. He, along with Alex Formenton, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube and Cal Foote, were accused of assaulting a woman in a hotel room during a Hockey Canada gala in 2018.

The justice did not find the evidence credible to proceed with charges.

“I’ve heard nothing but great things about the city, the community, the fan base and the organization,” Hart said. “I’m so excited to get the chance to play in front of them and to get to show the community my true character and who I really am.”

Knights captain Mark Stone said the team was approached before Hart was signed.

“(Management) put a lot of time and effort into it,” Stone said. “We’re looking forward to having him here, looking forward to where our team is going.”

The team did not disclose terms of the deal, but Hart will sign a two-year contract, according to reports.

Hart is expected to play with the Silver Knights during his tryout deal, but no plan has been set.

The NHL said in a statement Sept. 11 it would allow Hart, Formenton, McLeod, Dube and Foote to return to the league following their acquittals. But it said the players’ conduct, while not found to have been criminal, “did not meet” the standard required of NHL players. The league said it expects them to “uphold the standards required of NHL players both on and off the ice” moving forward.

“The Golden Knights are aligned with the process and assessment the NHL and NHLPA made in their decision,” the Knights 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.”

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