It is unfortunate that Carolina Hurricanes fans would choose to boo and harass Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Hockey fans will look for any way to get under the skin of their opponents, especially if he is the goalie. However, the jeers have reignited controversy, with some suggesting Hart should be banned from the NHL. That makes no sense.
Hart was one of five players on Canada's 2018 world juniors team acquitted last year of sexual assault. The complainant, a young woman known only as E.M., claimed she was subjected to an attack in a London, Ontario, hotel room after a 2018 Hockey Canada banquet. It was subsequently revealed that E.M. had received an undisclosed payout from Hockey Canada, reportedly millions of dollars. All five players were acquitted, and the judge said the complainant's testimony was not credible.
Hart, who played six seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers before being charged, is the only one of those acquitted to return to the NHL. He signed a two-year, $4-million contract with Vegas. In Game One of the Stanley Cup final, fans chanted, “No means no,” and booed Hart. Fair enough, hockey fans are a lively bunch. But the suggestion that Hart should be banned from the NHL is unreasonable.
Some suggest NHL players are role models to be held to a higher code of conduct than mere mortals. Really? At the start of a Canada-U.S. game in last year's 4 Nations Face-Off, there were three fights in nine seconds. Is that the code of conduct they are looking for? It is a game where players routinely find new ways to remove opponents' front teeth. Do we really want 20-year-old testosterone-driven hockey players to be society's role models? If you want your kids to look up to someone, try having them look up to you.
If Hart was banned from the NHL, it would set a dangerous precedent. Any disgruntled girlfriend could make a complaint against a player and destroy his career, even if the allegations were untrue. Everyone deserves a second chance. Hart's performance in the playoffs has been exceptional. He has been found guilty of nothing, so let us quit the chirping and let him get on with his life.
