Carter Hart’s tenure in Philadelphia is officially over

Carter Hart’s Philadelphia career has officially come to an end on Sunday evening.

Hart took a leave of absence at the end of January amid speculation that his name was going to pop up in what is now the Hockey Canada sexual assault case. He was charged in February with sexual assault, stemming from an alleged incident in June 2018. Hart’s representation immediately confirmed the news but stated his innocence.

“”We act for Carter Hart and confirm he has been charged with one count of sexual assault. He is innocent and will provide a full response to this false allegation in the proper forum, a court of law. Until then, we have no comment.””

Things originally began in May 2022 with Hockey Canada settling a lawsuit with a woman who alleged she had been sexually assaulted by members of Canada’s 2018 World Juniors team. The case was never made public, despite having been opened three years prior.

The investigation was reopened as the NHL looked into the charges as well. Court documents revealed that the London police believed they had enough evidence to charge five members of the team. Along with Hart, Dillon Dube, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote, and Alex Formenton were later revealed as the players in question.

While the latter four were in the NHL, Formenton was playing overseason in Switzerland. The Flyers, along with the other NHL teams, were given their own decisions when it came to sending out qualifying offers to the players involved.

As it pertains to Philadelphia, they have decided against sending an offer to Hart. That makes him an unrestricted free agent.

It’s unclear if he will play in the league again, though it’s the least important fact. A trial date has yet to be set in the case, though it will be back in criminal assignment court on Aug. 13.