Early in January 2024, the Philadelphia Flyers looked like a team ready to punch above their weight and make a serious push toward the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Their 7–4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 20 read like nothing more than a mid-season stumble on the schedule.
For Carter Hart, it became something far different. That night marked his final appearance before a 22-month disappearance from professional hockey, the beginning of an absence related to his involvement in the 2018 Canada’s World Juniors investigation.
“I haven’t played a game in a long time, so everything kind of felt different, but then once I started going a little bit, I started to get back into some certain routines that I haven’t done for a long time,” Hart said. “It’s just like riding a bike.”
Related: Calgary Wranglers Take Down Henderson Silver Knights 6-4
Hart, one of five former players charged in connection with the case, was found not guilty at trial in July 2025. Three months later, he resurfaced in the NHL landscape, signing a two-year, $4 million contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Since then, the Golden Knights took the next step on Nov. 15, sending him on a conditioning stint with the Henderson Silver Knights.
On Sunday night at Lee’s Family Forum, the wait ended, with Hart returning to professional hockey, earning the 12-save 5-2 win alongside head coach Ryan Craig and company against the Calgary Wranglers.
“I thought Carter played a good game,” Craig said. “The team in front of him played good. That was just important for our overall team. That’s how we want to build our game here, no matter who’s in net.”
Under the terms of his reinstatement, Hart cannot appear in NHL games until Dec. 1, but he is cleared to play in the AHL. Henderson has four more games on the schedule in which he could start for the Silver Knights before Dec. 1.
Carter Hart Returns After 22-Month Long Hiatus
As players trotted out through the tunnel for warm-ups, all attention drew towards the Silver Knights bench, led by Hart, a good sign that he’d be starting, and that held.
“I was probably more excited than anything,” Hart said. “I haven’t played a game in a long time, so I just (felt) good to be back out there, competing.”
It wasn’t just Hart, though, with four of the five goals on the night coming from defenseman. Jeremy Davies, Jaycob Megna, Lukas Cormier, and Lucas Johansen all got on the scoresheet.
“Yeah, I thought we were strong,” Megna said. “I think last night we were upset we didn’t help Vic (Jesper Vikman) enough. We came out pretty determined.”
With only 14 shots on net, Hart didn’t face a ton of action, but he stayed prepared and steady throughout the game.
“There wasn’t a lot of shots, so I had to kind of find different ways to get into the game, get as many touches as I could,” Hart said. “Get behind the net, stop as many pucks as I could.”
The Silver Knights haven’t won on home ice since Oct. 29; this win against the Wranglers snaps that streak, along with a four-game skid they’ve been on.
“It’s good,” Craig said. “That’s two in a row we had lost at home, so we want to make sure this is a place that it feels like tonight, that it’s a hard place to play.”
The Silver Knights will return to action this weekend against the Milwaukee Admirals, with Hart likely to get more reps in net as he nears his NHL comeback.
