PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 28: Philadelphia Flyers Goalie Carter Hart 79 stretches during the second period of the National Hockey League game between the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers on September 28, 2021 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA SEP 28 Preseason - Islanders at Flyers Icon210928083
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 28: Philadelphia Flyers Goalie Carter Hart 79 stretches during the second period of the National Hockey League game between the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers on September 28, 2021 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA SEP 28 Preseason - Islanders at Flyers Icon210928083
After Carter Hart's poor performance in the finals, John Tortorella talked about the goaltending decisions he took during Vegas' Stanley Cup run this week. He spoke in an interview about his exit from the Golden Knights.
Tortorella explained why the team was stuck with Hart through a difficult stretch in the Final. Vegas fell to Carolina in six games after leading 2-1, then dropping three straight. Hart struggled and allowed four or more goals in five straight Final games.
Their backup goaltender, Adin Hill, sat on the bench the entire series. Many questioned why Tortorella never turned to Hill for help as Hart's numbers dropped. Tortorella addressed that criticism directly this week.
“I’m sure there was a lot of criticism on that,” Tortorella said as per The Athletic. “But you know what? Hilly hadn’t played in 65 days. We didn’t practice a lot. There weren’t a lot of game situations. We were going with Carter. If it happened again the same way, we would go with Carter,” he says.
He deserved to work through it. He gave us an opportunity to go to the Final the way he played in the first three rounds, especially the early rounds. … We trusted Carter.”
Hill hadn't played a game in more than two months by the time the Final arrived. With little practice time, throwing him into the Stanley Cup Final was risky.
The coach was also very clear that he would do the same if he was faced with the same situation again.
From Flyers castoff to Vegas starter
Vegas signed Hart to a professional tryout in October 2025, then presented him with a two-year contract.
This comes right after a rough stretch for him, as he missed a lot of time after the charges connected to the Hockey Canada World Junior investigation. He was acquitted in 2025, and Philadelphia did not bring him back.
Hart was a second-round pick by the Flyers in 2016. He spent parts of seven NHL seasons playing. According to NHL stats, he has a record of 107-96-32 with a 2.92 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage in 245 games.
His first season in Vegas was when he made a strong comeback. Hart went 11-3-3 with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage in 18 regular-season games.
He started every playoff game, carrying the heaviest workload before the Finals wore him down.
What do you think about Tortorella sticking with Carter Hart? Let us know in the comments below.
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Written by
Aadhya Nalla