Team Comes Calling for Goaltender Carter Hart

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TJ Tucker
March 25, 2024 (3:40 PM)

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Carter Hart while playing with the Philadelphia Flyers

Photo credit: NBC Sports

A hockey team reportedly wants to sign Carter Hart, the Philadelphia Flyers goaltender implicated in an assault that allegedly took place in a hotel room in 2018.

According to reports out of Russia, Ak Bars Kazan, a powerhouse in the KHL, is very interested in signing Hart to start in the 2024-25 season. Timur Bilyalov, who has been Kazan's starting goaltender since 2018, won't be getting a new offer from the team.

"The Kazan club has set its sights on the 25-year-old Hart, who was selected by Philadelphia in the second round of the draft, 48th overall, in 2016. In February, the goaltender's career in the NHL was put on pause due to a trial when five Canadian youth hockey players were accused of s----l assault. The players in question are: Hart, forwards Dillon Dube (Calgary), Alex Formenton (Ambri-Piotta, Switzerland), as well as forward Michael MacLeod and defenseman Cal Foote (both New Jersey)." - MatchTV

In fact, MatchTV, which has an excellent track record of breaking Russian sports news, says it firmly believes all five players charged in connection with the alleged assault will end up in the KHL.

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"All five will most likely continue their careers in Russia, because they won't even be accepted into European leagues. Ak Bars is the most active contender, they need Hart. Kazan would take the rest, but the limit of three foreign players (per team) interferes."

The biggest stumbling block, according to MatchTV, is that Hart, and presumably the four others will require special permission to leave Canada. It has happened in the past, but it's never a guarantee.

Hart's contract with the Philadelphia Flyers technically runs out at the end of this season, making him a restricted free agent. However, it seems the Flyers have no interest in keeping him in the ranks at the moment.

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POLL
25 MARS \| 300 ANSWERS Team Comes Calling for Goaltender Carter Hart Do you think Carter Hart and/or the four others will end up in the KHL?
Yes, at least one or more of them	165	55 %
All five likely	79	26.3 %
No	36	12 %
Not sure	20	6.7 %
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