During Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart faced a chorus of Carolina Hurricanes fans chanting “No means no!”
The chant, referring to his involvement in sexual assault allegations stemming from the 2018 Canadian World Junior team’s championship celebration in June 2018, has put Hart’s controversial comeback to the NHL in the brightest spotlight yet.
The incident has led to lingering vitriol on social media, where groups have discussed boycotting the Knights because they signed Hart.
Here’s a timeline of what you need to know about Hart’s case.
June 2018: What happened in London, Ontario
Team Canada met in London, Ontario, on June 18, 2018, to celebrate its gold-medal win over Sweden in the 2018 World Junior Championships. After a celebration at the team hotel, players went bar-hopping in downtown London, where the legal drinking age is 19.
Former New Jersey Devils first-rounder Michael McLeod met a woman that night. The two grew intimate, dancing, drinking and kissing into the hours of the early morning before they called a cab to the team hotel, according to court records.
McLeod texted a group chat of his teammates at 2:10 a.m., asking, “Who wants to be in a 3 way quick.”
The woman testified seven or eight players made their way to the room, setting off a chaotic night that left her feeling degraded and humiliated. She said she performed oral sex on three men in the room, including Hart, who was 19.
Her mother contacted authorities, and her mother’s boyfriend contacted Hockey Canada directly, according to her testimony. She also texted a detective assigned to her case that she did not want to pursue charges, but wanted the players involved spoken to.
London police and Hockey Canada investigated the incident, leading to a group text involving 11 players that was sent a week later. “We all need to say the same thing if we get interviewed,” McLeod said, per court documents. “Can’t have different stories or make anything up.”
Several players replied, including Hart, who said, “Honestly boys nobody did anything wrong. We got consent to anything that she did. She was the one begging for (sex).”
Hockey Canada claimed the woman declined to speak to investigators, which resulted in both investigations being closed.
April 2022: Case is reopened
The woman filed a suit in the Ontario Superior Court, seeking $3.55 million in damages. Hockey Canada settled out of court for an undisclosed amount a month later, which led to a third-party investigation into Hockey Canada for using public funds to settle past sexual assault claims.
January 2024: Hart charged with sexual assault
Hart, then in his sixth season with the Philadelphia Flyers, took an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons on Jan. 23, 2024. The next day, five players were asked to surrender to London police to face charges of sexual assault.
May 2025: Hart testifies
Hart provided testimony on May 29, 2025. He said he took part in the open bar at the team’s gala dinner and had “three or four beers” at another bar before taking advantage of a $1 beer special at the bar where McLeod met the woman.
Hart and two other teammates returned to the hotel at 2:46 a.m., when he said he saw the threesome text from McLeod.
“I’m in,” Hart replied, according to court records.
After he arrived to the room, Hart said he wanted to ensure any activity was fully consensual. He testified that the woman asked if somebody could have sex with her.
Hart testified he did not want vaginal sex but asked for oral sex, which she performed on him from 30-60 seconds with several teammates in the room. Hart testified his memory of that night was affected by the amount of alcohol he drank.
July 24, 2025: Hart is acquitted
An Ontario Superior Court judge ruled in favor of Hart and his four teammates, acquitting them. The judge accepted the evidence of Hart asking for oral sex and the woman agreeing to do so, saying she found “actual consent not vitiated (invalidated) by fear.”
The woman’s lawyer took issue with the treatment of her client during cross-examination, which spanned seven days of her nine-day testimony, calling it “insulting, unfair, mocking and disrespectful.”
The NHL expressed its disapproval of the behavior detailed in the case, but ruled the five players would be eligible to sign contracts Oct. 15 and be eligible to return to play Dec. 1.
October 16, 2025: Hart joins Knights
Hart joined the Knights on a professional tryout deal Oct. 16. He signed a two-year, $4 million contract eight days later. He played his first game in almost two years on Nov. 16 for the AHL Henderson Silver Knights.
Hart played in his first NHL game since he was acquitted on Dec. 2. He suffered a lower-body injury Jan. 8 and missed nearly three months. Since returning from injury in April, Hart has played all but one game for the John Tortorella-led Knights in a resurgent run for the 27-year-old goaltender.
He has earned a .921 save percentage in the postseason while facing the second-most shots (505) of any goaltender in the playoffs.
Contact Trevor Squire at tsquire@reviewjournal.com Follow him at @trevordsquire on X.
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