Carter Hart, that is.
It has been 20 years since the last franchise goaltender played a game for the Philadelphia Flyers. That man was Ron Hextall, who played for Flyers from 1986 to 1992 and then again from 1994 to 1999.
Hextall as GM (photo, The Coggin Toboggan)
Back then, Hextall gave Philadelphia hockey fans hope. He was the heart of the team, too. And a few years ago, Hextall returned to the team in another role–hoping to do the very same things–this time as the Flyers’ GM (2014-18).
One of Hextall’s biggest moves was drafting Carter Hart in the 2016 NHL Draft. The 48th overall pick, Hart was considered to be the best goaltending prospect available.
In 2017-2018, Hart spent time playing for the WHL’s Everett Silvertips and for Team Canada at the World Juniors. The results were nothing short of spectacular! Hart posted a record of 31-6-3 with a 1.60 GAA and a .947 save percentage.
With stats like those, it’s no wonder that his teams excelled. The Silvertips played in the WHL Championship, and Team Canada won Gold at the World Juniors.
When this season began, Hart was on the roster of the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He stayed there as the parent club played one goalie after another–six, in total, through mid-December. The seventh came on December 17. It was Hart’s turn.
Carter Hart (photo, Broad Street Hockey)
Hart debuted the very next night. He allowed two goals on 22 shots v. the Red Wings, earning his first NHL win.
Through January, Hart has a record of 7-5-1 in 13 games played. That doesn’t seem super special. But it is! That’s because Hart’s play has been, in a word, ‘unreal,” especially in calendar 2019.
Since the beginning of 2019, Hart is 5-2-1 with a .932 save percentage. And he has made 260 saves–the most in the NHL during that time span. How impressive that is for a 20-year-old?!
Carter Hart has drawn comparisons to Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens, a former Vezina and Hart trophy winner. It’s a good comparison, too. Hart has Price’s poise and determination, and Hart’s footwork and quickness are obvious, too.
After years of disappointment, Philadelphia hockey fans finally have something to shout about! Carter Hart is the real deal, a player who’s quickly becoming the heart of these Flyers.
And if Hart continues producing, then (who knows?) the Flyers will be in the Stanley Cup conversation once again. This Flyers’ fan really hopes that will happen!
