Golden Knights’ Carter Hart leaves game vs. Blue Jackets with lower-body injury

Vegas Golden Knights’ goaltender Carter Hart left Thursday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets with a lower-body injury and did not return.

The injury occurred midway through the first period after a scramble in front of the Golden Knights’ net, with Hart falling awkwardly and struggling to get up. As the Blue Jackets passed the puck in the Vegas zone, Hart had difficulty moving, with Boone Jenner eventually firing the puck past Hart to make it 1-0.

He finished the game with one save in 8:24 of ice time.

Heading into the game, Hart was 5-3-3 in 11 games with an .874 save percentage (SV%), a 3.23 goals against average (GAA) and a goals saved above expected (GSAx) of minus-8.6 in 11 appearances.

Through seven NHL seasons, Hart, a native of Sherwood Park, Alta., went 101-96-32 with a .906 SV% and 2.94 GAA in 227 career NHL games played with the Golden Knights and Philadelphia Flyers. 

His best season came in 2019-20, when in 43 games played, he went 24-13-3 with a .914 SV% and 2.42 GAA and 6.9 GSAx.

Taken in the second round by the Flyers in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Hart spent parts of two seasons in the AHL, going 9-6-3 with a .904 SV% and 2.95 in 18 games. 

Through five seasons in the Western Hockey League, Hart went 116-46-22 with a .927 SV% and 2.01 GAA in 190 games with the Everett Silvertips. He won the Del Wilson Trophy for WHL Goaltender of the Year three times, as well as two CHL Goaltender of the Year awards. 

Going into Thursday night, the Golden Knights were 18-11-12 with 48 points, first in the Pacific Division and fourth in the Western Conference. They have a minus-one differential, 16th in the league.