Hill: It’s OK to feel conflicted about the Knights signing Carter Hart
It’s OK sometimes to be conflicted in an opinion, even on the most polarizing of issues.
Not everything can be categorized as black and white or right and wrong.
Feeling uneasy about the Golden Knights’ signing of goaltender Carter Hart while also believing there is a good chance he is innocent as determined by the court and probably should be free to go on with his life isn’t hypocritical.
It’s perfectly valid.
There isn’t a right or wrong answer for this complicated issue.
Only one wrong answer
Hart, 27, will officially join the team this week, and there are sure to be strong reactions on both sides.
Some fans will be turned off by his involvement in a disturbing incident that took place when he was 19 and a member of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team.
They will say that because he participated in the activities that led to sexual assault charges against him and four teammates that they won’t root for him and don’t think he should be a role model to children. It won’t matter to them that he was found not guilty and a judge ruled the accuser’s testimony was not “credible or reliable.”
Other fans will support the team’s decision to allow him to continue his career now that the legal process is over, either out of a belief in second chances or blind loyalty to their beloved Knights.
Those are both completely valid feelings in a situation that lacks a right or wrong answer.
Well, there is perhaps one wrong answer.
That group that probably has never seen a hockey game nor heard of Carter Hart before this that will now hold him up as a martyr for some sort of weird anti-female agenda.
That’s wrong. And gross.
Otherwise, both sides of the debate should be acknowledged. So should the opinion of those that aren’t sure how they feel.
That’s where I find myself, at least.
When news broke that the Knights were signing Hart, my first thought was disgust. Just another example of this cutthroat organization prioritizing winning over humanity, for better or worse. (Usually better.)
Details matter
My tendency is to lean in favor of accusers in this type of case, and an acquittal doesn’t always equate to innocence in cases of assaults against women.
Not all situations are the same, however. The best that can be done with these matters is to weigh the severity and potential veracity of a claim with any mitigating factors.
In diving deep into the case and pouring over the judge’s verdict and details of the trial, it would seem Hart more likely than not deserves the benefit of the doubt.
While he was no angel on that June 2018 night in London, Ontario, he took the stand and told his version of what happened, making a good case for himself.
And again, he was 19.
The details are readily available and don’t need to be rehashed yet again.
In the absolute most favorable light, he exercised horrible judgment as a drunk teenager.
Awful.
He was acquitted and has a right to resume the pursuit of his NHL dreams, and that’s probably the correct decision.
Yet there was no requirement that the Knights had to sign him.
It’s fair as a fan to not love the decision.
To be skeptical of Hart’s presence on the team. To cheer a little less vigorously because you might be a little uncomfortable.
You don’t have to be all-in or all-out on this because there is plenty of gray area.
But Hart has been cleared by the courts and the league to return, and he is here now.
It’s OK to be unsure how to feel about that.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
