Carter Hart leave of absence: What we know so far about Flyers goalie's unavailability

The Philadelphia Flyers announced on Tuesday that star goaltender Carter Hart was stepping away indefinitely for personal reasons.

The Flyers, who currently sit in a playoff spot a little over halfway through the season now find themselves in a spot of bother over their starting goaltender's absence.

While the exact reason for Carter Hart's leave of absence is unknown, the Flyers organization provided an official statement regarding the matter. Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said,

"Carter Hart has requested and been granted an indefinite leave of absence citing personal reasons. The club will have no further comment at this time."

The 25-year-old goalie is currently in his sixth season in the NHL. Starting in 26 games so far this season, Hart's goals-against average stands at 2.80 while boasting a .906 save percentage. With him between the sticks, the Flyers have a 12-9-3 record.

The Flyers in the meantime have recalled 29-year-old goaltender Cal Petersen of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms as cover for Hart.

The news of Hart's departure from the team has raised numerous questions among Flyers faithful and the broader hockey community.

As the story develops, more details are set to emerge around the Canadian goalie's mysterious leave of absence.

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What happened to Carter Hart? Reviewing past allegations levelled against Flyers goalie

Carter Hart is no stranger to controversy. The Flyers goalie is reportedly one among eight players under investigation for being involved in the infamous Hockey Canada scandal.

As per reports, back in 2018, a woman claimed to have been sexually assaulted by eight players from the Canadian Hockey League.

The incident reportedly happened in a hotel room after a Hockey Canada Foundation gala in London, Ontario.

Among the players against whom these charges were levied reportedly involved players from the 2018 Canadian World Junior team. An investigation into the matter remains ongoing.

Apart from this, Carter Hart also recently suffered from a mysterious illness which kept him out for extended periods of the ongoing NHL season. In an interview, Hart had said,

"It has been going on for a while. I used to never get sick, and now I think I've been sick three times in the last month, so something is going on."

The Flyers goaltender further revealed that he had started taking treatment for the illness that was plaguing him. The 25-year-old, though, declined to disclose the specific nature of the illness.