Carter Hart, Hockey Canada sexual assault case back in court on August 13 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The lawsuit in the sexual offense case involving Carter Hart and four other players from the 2018 Canadian junior team are not expected to start anytime soon.
No start date for the trial was set in court on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Superior Court told NBC Sports Philadelphia. The case will return to court for criminal adjudication on August 13, the same day Hart turns 26 years old.
As reported in April, it appears the trial won’t begin until after the 2024-2025 NHL season begins. TSN correspondent Rick Westhead reported Tuesday that “due to the backlogs in the courts, it is doubtful that the trial against Hockey Canada will begin before the end of April 2025 at the earliest.”
The Flyers open training camp in September and the regular season in October. A regular NHL season typically ends around mid-April. The possibility of Hart returning to the ice at any point next season is looking increasingly unlikely.
The goaltender is a restricted free agent this season. It is uncertain whether the Flyers will have to make Hart a qualifying offer this month to retain his rights while the legal process plays out in court. According to a source, the Flyers have not made a decision on that front as they wait for direction from the NHL.
Hart has been away from the team since Jan. 23, when he requested and was granted an indefinite leave of absence.
On February 5, London, Ontario police announced that they had charged Hart, the Flames’ Dillon DubeCal Foote of the Devil and Michael McLeod and former NHLer Alex Formenton with sexual assault, following an incident in June 2018.
A week after Hart left the Flyers, his legal representative stated that “he is innocent and will provide a full answer to this false accusation in the proper forum, a court of law.”
At Danny Briere’s season-ending press conference on April 19, the general manager did not have any update on Hart’s status. The Flyers plan to head into camp with Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov forming their goaltending tandem.
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