{"id":231857,"date":"2025-09-16T17:24:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T17:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/231857\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T17:24:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T17:24:14","slug":"goalie-carter-hart-will-not-return-to-philadelphia-flyers-gm-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/231857\/","title":{"rendered":"Goalie Carter Hart will not return to Philadelphia Flyers, GM says"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carter Hart, one of five players recently acquitted on sexual assault charges in the Hockey Canada trial<\/a>, will not return to the Philadelphia Flyers for the 2025-2026 season, general manager Danny Briere announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only comment I\u2019ll make on that is that his representative, Judd Moldaver, has reached out and kind of told us that in light of everything that happened in the last year and a half with Carter, they felt \u2014 Carter felt \u2014 that it was better for them to look for a fresh start,\u201d Briere said. \u201cThat\u2019s where it\u2019s at, and it\u2019s the only comment I\u2019m going to make on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Danny Briere says that Carter Hart’s agent has told them that he would like a “fresh start.” He won’t be re-joining the Flyers this season.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) September 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Hart can return to playing in the league as soon as Dec. 1<\/a> after the NHL reinstated the players Thursday. While multiple teams will be interested in his services, league sources told The Athletic\u2019s Chris Johnston that some may elect not to pursue Hart, or any of the acquitted players, on moral grounds.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cPer league sources, Hart is expected to reach terms on a contract by Oct. 1, though the contract can\u2019t officially be registered with the NHL until Oct. 15,\u201d Johnston wrote. \u201cHis top priorities are finding a job with a clear chance to get a meaningful number of starts and playing for a team that can win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hart, along with Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dub\u00e9 and Cal Foote, had been charged with sexual assault in connection to an alleged incident in June 2018 in which a woman known publicly as E.M. \u2014 her identity is protected by a publication ban \u2014 said she was sexually assaulted over the span of several hours in a London, Ont., hotel room. The players were in town for a Hockey Canada event celebrating their victory at the World Junior Championship earlier that year. McLeod had also been charged with being party to the offense.<\/p>\n

In her decision, \u00a0Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia said the prosecution had not proven its case and that she did not find the evidence of the complainant \u201ccredible or reliable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of E.M., and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me,\u201d Carroccia said.<\/p>\n

Flyers\u2019 goaltending outlook<\/p>\n

The Flyers will begin training camp on Thursday with an NHL tandem of Samuel Ersson and Dan Vladar, who signed a two-year, $6.7 million contract with the club as a free agent on July 1. Aleksei Kolosov and Carson Bjarnason, a second-round pick in 2023, are expected to be the tandem with the club\u2019s AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.<\/p>\n

The Flyers traded goalie Ivan Fedotov to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2026 draft.<\/p>\n

Briere expressed confidence that the Flyers will improve their goaltending numbers under new coach Rick Tocchet. They were last in the NHL in save percentage last season, at .886.<\/p>\n

\u201cI expect the goaltending to be better, no doubt about it,\u201d he said. \u201cI think also the system might protect them a little better that Rick Tocchet and his staff (are) going to put forth. But we expect the goaltending to be better.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Vladar will come in and probably be a little bit more support for Sam. But we do believe in Sam, still. He\u2019s shown he\u2019s had some flashes. I think with Sam, having a guy there to protect him and not him having to or expecting him to play three games a week, should probably help Sam in the long run.\u201d \u2013 Kevin Kurz, Flyers staff writer<\/p>\n

(Photo: Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n