A recent rumor aired on Russian television tied Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart to KHL team AK Bars Kazan. The hint was that his NHL career is over and no teams in Europe would take him, so he’s looking to go to Russia to continue his hockey career, all while awaiting trial in North America.
Needless to say, the rumors are not accurate.
The report indicated that Hart, along with four other players including Dillon Dube, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote, and Alex Formenton, might opt for Russian leagues. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and other sources dismissed the claim. Amidst legal proceedings following sexual assault charges filed against them in January, the players await trial, which could impact their ability to pursue hockey careers elsewhere. Brandon Sommermann, managing editor at The Brotherly Bullies, relayed Hart’s agency’s statement that Hart is not currently seeking to play hockey.
Each of the players involved in the Team Canada scandal faces a single charge of sexual assault stemming from an incident at a London, Ontario hotel in June 2018. As they await trial in Canada, they have ceased playing and are restricted from leaving the country.
At this point, even if they were allowed to pursue other opportunities in other countries, the optics alone and the pushback each would probably receive would make choosing to try and play a challenging decision. Take everything you read about any of these players going somewhere to play with a grain of salt. It’s extremely unlikely there is anything in the works.
A Russian team could try and offer a contract or an opportunity to one of these players, but the legal process is a long way away from playing itself out. Until that happens, the players won’t likely even consider a deal from a team out of Russia.
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