Carolina fans chant 'No means no' at Vegas goalie Carter Hart despite acquittal for sexual assault

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals ended in a 5-4 victory for the Las Vegas Golden Knights, however, the team’s goalie faced his own particular challenge during the s eries opener.

Carolina Hurricanes fans chanted “No means no” at Carter Hart, in a loud and very public reference to his part in a sexual assault case that arose following accusations made by a woman who was involved in a hotel celebration with five members of Canada’s junior men’s national team after they won the 2018 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. Hart and four of his teammates were acquitted of all charges last July.

Monday night in Raleigh, N.C., many of the more than 18,000 fans at PNC Arena “relentlessly chanted ‘No means no!’ at Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart throughout Game 1,” Hockey News site, Hockey Forever, posted on Instagram on June 2.

The post also includes a video clip from the game, in which the chant can clearly be heard as the action continues.

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Here is the video from IcyVert, identified in the Hockey Forever post:

A “no means no” chant has started here pic.twitter.com/6lKI5aD8un

— IcyVert (@IcyVert) June 3, 2026

Canadian sports journalist, Justin Arenburg, posted an Instagram video clip saying: “The Carolina Hurricanes made sure Carter Hart heard everything tonight from the opening ceremony when he was booed ten times louder than any other Vegas Golden Knight player on the ice, to the chants midgame that included ‘No means no.’”

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Over the course of the eight-week trial of Hart, Dillon Dube, Alex Formenton, Cal Foote, and Michael McLeod, the proceedings were declared a mistrial twice. This led to Justice Maria Carroccia adjudicating the case by herself. She ultimately acquitted all five defendants, ruling that she did not find the testimony of E.M. “credible or reliable.” She also ruled that “the Crown (did not) meet its onus on any of the counts.”

After the acquittals, the NHL eventually allowed the players to return to the league, reports ESPN .

However, of all five players, only Hart has returned to the NHL, according to the Daily Mail . Foote signed with the Carolina Hurricanes’ AHL team, the Chicago Wolves. Dube signed a tryout deal with the Springfield Thunderbirds, the AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues. McLeod and Formenton are playing in Europe.

Hart has been shielded by Vegas’ staff from questions about the case. That includes a press conference in the run-up to the Stanley Cup Finals, when Hart answered a single question about the verdict before a communications officer cut the media scrum short.

• Read the full text of the judge's verdict in the Hockey Canada sex assault trial
• Hockey Canada sex assault complainant 'very disappointed' with judge's assessment of her honesty, lawyer says

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