Hockey Canada has revealed the expiration of its upheld suspensions of the five members of the 2018 World Junior Championship roster who were acquitted of the sexual assault trial just over one year ago.
All five players were issued a date by which their suspensions would be complete, except for the immediate reinstatement of Alex Formenton.
For the only player of this group to play in the NHL this past year, Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart's suspension will last until Nov. 10, 2027. That means the 28-year-old will not be able to feature for Team Canada at any level until his suspension is served, including the World Championships.
However, his suspension expires about three months before the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, the first time the competition will be held since 2016. Therefore, could Hart represent Team Canada at that tournament?
As mentioned, the 2025-26 season was Hart's first since the 26 games he played in 2023-24. The Alberta native made 18 starts for Vegas this past year and was fairly average, posting a .891 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average. Still, not bad numbers considering how long he'd been away from the NHL.
In the Stanley Cup playoffs, however, Hart really stepped up his game was a key piece to the Golden Knights getting all the way to the Cup final.
In 22 post-season appearances, Hart averaged a .909 SP and a 2.56 GAA, earning a 14-8 record over that span. His numbers were diluted by his .863 SP in the six-game Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Regardless, it's worth mentioning the rate he played at leading up to that final battle.
Across the first three series of the Golden Knights' playoff campaign, Hart posted a .921 SP, which stood as one of the best percentages in the league, and he earned a 2.33 GAA. Of course, those weren't his true numbers given his performance in the Cup final, but even his ultimate .909 SP is solid and respectable.
NHL Off-Season Rankings: No. 24, Vegas Golden KnightsThe Vegas Golden Knights are one of the NHL's most competitive franchises. But in TheHockeyNews' new series ranking the off-seasons of every team in the league, they rank 24th. How did the Golden Knights land this low on the list?No other Canadian goaltender in the 2026 playoffs can truly compare to Hart's performance. The closest would be the Colorado Avalanche's Scott Wedgewood, who ended his post-season with a 7-4 record and a .904 SP.
That said, there are some respectable Canadian goaltenders that didn't make the playoffs with their team, but had a great season. Washington Capitals starter Logan Thompson is among those great goalies, who registered a .912 SP this past year.
St. Louis Blues' Jordan Binnington is another netminder who always has his name in the mix when it comes to representing Canada since best-on-best tournaments returned.
For the 2028 World Cup of Hockey, those two goalies, Wedgewood, Mackenzie Blackwood, Jet Greaves, Stuart Skinner, among others, could all be in contention for getting the call to join Team Canada in the crease.
But with a chunk of a season under his belt since returning, showing a spark of excellence between the pipes in the past post-season, and the expiration date of his suspension from Hockey Canada, it's definitely possible to see Hart wear the Maple Leaf in February 2028.
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