(Photo credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images)

Goaltender Carter Hart, one of five players acquitted of sexual assault charges stemming from an incident in 2018, agreed to a tryout contract with the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.

Hart became eligible to sign with an NHL team after his acquittal of charges that came from a time when he and the others accused were members of Canada's World Junior Championship gold-medal team.

The NHL ruled the players -- Hart, forwards Dillon Dube, Michael McLeod and Alex Formenton and defenseman Cal Foote -- could sign NHL contracts no sooner than Oct. 15 and be eligible to take part in NHL games no sooner than Dec. 1. McLeod since signed with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League.

'Following the reinstatement decision agreed on by the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association, goaltender Carter Hart will be joining the Vegas Golden Knights organization,' the team said in a statement. 'The Golden Knights are aligned with the process and assessment the NHL and NHLPA made in their decision. We remain committed to the core values that have defined our organization from its inception and expect that our players will continue to meet these standards moving forward.'

Hart joins a Golden Knights squad that features goaltenders Adin Hill and Akira Schmid. Hill, however, sustained a lower-body injury during Vegas' 4-2 victory against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

'I'm beyond grateful, excited and honored to be part of the Golden Knights,' Hart said during media availability after the team's practice on Thursday. 'Got a great skate out with (Golden Knights goaltending coach Sean Burke) and a few guys. It's been a long road to get back to this point, to get back to playing the game of hockey, the game that I love.

'I heard nothing but great things about this city and the community, the fan base, the organization, and I got to meet a lot of people here today, and I'm so excited to get the chance to play in front of them and for them and just get to show the community my true character and who I really am and what I'm about.'

Hart, 27, posted a 96-93-29 record with six shutouts, a 2.94 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage in 227 career games (218 starts) with the Flyers from 2018-19 to 2023-24. He was selected by Philadelphia in the second round of the 2016 NHL Draft.

'Happy to welcome him to our team, to our family,' Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said. 'I think we've created a pretty damn good culture here. A lot of character people in the locker room, a lot of people in the entire organization.'

Stone said that the front office informed the players about bringing Hart in.

'Listen, I think we all know how well the guys upstairs work and they know what they're doing, right?' forward Jack Eichel said. 'I think when you speak to people who know Carter, they have a lot of good things to say about his character and who he is as a person.'

Hart will join the Henderson Silver Knights -- Las Vegas' AHL affiliate -- for a conditioning stint on Nov. 15, according to ESPN.

--Field Level Media