Golden Knights Sign Carter Hart to $4M Deal

The Vegas Golden Knights converted Carter Hart’s professional tryout into a two-year contract worth $4 million total, carrying a $2 million average annual cap hit and a reported $1.45 million signing bonus. Hart was reinstated following his acquittal in a 2018 sexual-assault case and was permitted to sign in mid-October but remains barred from NHL game action until Dec. 1, 2025; he is eligible to begin AHL games with the Henderson Silver Knights on Nov. 15, 2025. The team signed Hart to bolster goalie depth after starter Adin Hill suffered a lower-body injury, leaving Akira Schmid and recalled Carl Lindbom to cover in the short term; the club placed captain Mark Stone on long-term injured reserve to accommodate the move under the cap. The signing has prompted public pushback because of the case and observers note uncertainty about how Hart’s extended layoff (he last played in Jan. 2024) will affect his return to play.