RALEIGH, N.C. -- Speaking on the eve of the Stanley Cup Final, goaltender Carter Hart said Monday he has learned and grown a lot since signing with the Vegas Golden Knights after he and four other players were reinstated by the NHL following their acquittals in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case.
Hart is in the spotlight now in large part because he is the only one of the five players to sign a contract in the league. He addressed the situation after joining the Golden Knights in October but has spoken only about hockey since.
He was asked on Cup Final media day about comments he made in the fall and how he has learned and grown since then.
"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 session was ended after his answer. General manager Kelly McCrimmon, who chose to sign Hart to a two-year, $4 million contract, was asked about the thought process and took issue with the notion that the 27-year-old goalie came with baggage.
"We went through a lengthy process of due diligence with Carter," McCrimmon said. "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."
The 27-year-old goalie, who played six seasons for Philadelphia from 2018 to 2024, was one of five players on Canada's 2018 under-20 world junior team accused of assaulting a woman after the 2018 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala. Hart was formally charged with one count of sexual assault on Jan. 30, 2024, shortly after he took a leave of absence from the Flyers. In a trial this summer, a judge found that prosecutors did not meet the onus to convict the defendants on any of the counts and they were all acquitted.
Vegas plays Carolina in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night.
Information from ESPN's Emily Kaplan and The Associated Press was used in this report.