Finally Doing The Right Thing

For all of the questionable moves that the Oilers have made over the last five years, this one might have surprised me the most. PWHA member Jason Gregor reports that not only do they not have interest, but that Carter Hart never even came up in discussions when it comes to potential goaltending solutions for the Oilers. In an era where the Oilers employed a flawed Evander Kane, a rehabilitating Stan Bowman, and Corey Perry after he was cut by the Chicago Blackhawks over "a workplace matter", hearing that the Oilers wanted nothing to do with the accused Carter Hart seems... morally right for once?

That's not to say that the Oilers can't pivot and sign the free agent once the Hockey Canada trial ends, but there really should be a line in the sand where what players do off the ice affect their employment on the ice. I get that the business of NHL hockey is to win at any cost, but that cost shouldn't include immoral and unethical behaviour(s) off the ice. At some point, NHL teams need to be better.

Let me be clear: "not guilty" does not mean "innocent". The fact that he was named in the report that the London Police filed means that Carter Hart was involved in the Hockey Canada scandal in some way. I'm not saying that Carter Hart shouldn't get a second chance at some point, but he, like everyone else who has been allowed back to the NHL, needs to show the receipts for the work he's doing to become a better person. As far as we know to this point, none of that has happened before or during the trial, so he shouldn't be employable.

If this is the new standard to which the Oilers adhere, I'm fine with them signing players who have shown rehabilitation of their past questionable behaviour. Again, Hart has not proven he's done any of this, so he shouldn't enter the conversation for any team, let alone just the Oilers. Being a good corporate citizen shouldn't be difficult.

I don't cheer for the Edmonton Oilers often, but this is one personnel decision I can applaud. If this is how they're going to do business moving forward, it's a good first step in showing the hockey community and the city of Edmonton that they're going to try to win a Stanley Cup without compromising their morality in that pursuit.

In today's day and age, that's something for which I'll gladly cheer.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!