Everyone Loves Flyers Carter Hart, The Whole Team Loves Their Carter

Carter Hart entered the 2019-20 season with some unknowns. Some questions were how would this young netminder handle the rigors of a full NHL season, or would he get rattled enough to just give up during a game if the wheels start falling off the bus? Valid questions, but it turns out Carter had a great season at just the ripe age of 21-years-old.

Hart had some downs, however, his season was mainly filled with ups. He was able to rid of some bad habits with cutting down angles, and making himself bigger in the net after working tirelessly with Kim Dillabaugh. Hart was just spectacular for the most part in just his first full season for the Flyers. He posted a 24-13-3 record, with a 2.42 GAA (8th best in the league), and a .914 Save Percentage. What more could one expect from a 21-year-old in just his first full season in the NHL. At home he was lights out accumulating a 20-3-2 record, 1.63 GAA, and a .943 Save Percentage. Simply put, Hart proved he was the franchise Goaltender the Flyers have needed since President Reagan was in office. There are a few more things, his season was so good he currently owns the 5th best GAA of All-Time for 21-year-old netminders, and he also is tied for the 5th best in Save Percentage of All-Time with a .914 with John Gibson, according to quanthockey.com:

Rk		Name	Born	Season	GP	GAA	SV%	W	L	SO	TIME	G	A	P	PIM
1		Terry Sawchuk	1929	1950‑51	70	1.97		44	13	11	4200	0	0	0	2
2		Jim Carey	1974	1995‑96	71	2.26	0.906	35	24	9	4069	0	1	1	6
3		Juuse Saros	1995	2016‑17	21	2.35	0.924	10	8	1	1200	0	1	1	0
4		Martin Brodeur	1972	1993‑94	47	2.40	0.915	27	11	3	2625	0	0	0	2
5		Carter Hart	1998	2019‑20	43	2.42	0.914	24	13	1	2356	0	0	0	0

Save Percentage:

Rk		Name	Born	Season	GP	GAA	SV%	W	L	SO	TIME	G	A	P	PIM
1		Juuse Saros	1995	2016‑17	21	2.35	0.924	10	8	1	1200	0	1	1	0
2		Roberto Luongo	1979	2000‑01	47	2.44	0.920	12	24	5	2628	0	0	0	2
3		Joonas Korpisalo	1994	2015‑16	31	2.60	0.920	16	11	0	1803	0	0	0	2
4		Martin Brodeur	1972	1993‑94	47	2.40	0.915	27	11	3	2625	0	0	0	2
5		John Gibson	1993	2014‑15	23	2.60	0.914	13	8	1	1340	0	0	0	0
6		Carter Hart	1998	2019‑20	43	2.42	0.914	24	13	1	2356	0	0	0	0

A lot of people love Hart for different reasons, it’s not always just how he performs on the ice, he’s just a good person, “I would say if I had to have one roommate, I’d go with Carter Hart for that, I think it’d be pretty entertaining,” JVR said, “It’s funny to hear some of stuff that’s going on his brain. I’d pick him for the guy that I would definitely want to room with.”

“He’s still the same kid off the ice, young innocent kid that everyone’s making fun of, so that’s a good sign,” Jakub Voracek says, “If you’re getting made fun of, that means people like you. It’s a good thing. Obviously he was one of the best goalies in the league at this early stage of his career. We’re real lucky to have him on our team and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.”

Hart is just one of the guys in the locker room. He really enjoys being around this club and they enjoy being around him, “You know what, since Day 1, since I came up last year, I felt that right from the beginning,” Hart said on Wednesday, “We have a really good leadership group here with Jake, Coots, G, Brauner, Nisky, and the list goes on. We have a really good group of guys here. We all gel really well together. We’re the kind of group where outside the rink we are always doing things together and having fun. I think that’s really important. For me as a younger guy, you feel like you are a part of the team right from the beginning. That’s special. When I came up there, my first two weeks, obviously I was very nervous. I didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes. Right from Day 1 since I got here, they’ve all made me feel like part of the group.”

This young man in Hart has electrified the fan base, and has cemented himself as the guy between the pipes for the orange and black for the foreseeable future. Most fans knew he was special, but it was great to see him flourish down the stretch in big playoff like atmosphere games, but this will be a little different than anyone is used to when the hockey season reconvenes. Hart knows he has stay focused, but have fun in the same token. He is the real deal, and he takes all the blame for a loss. That’s just what good players do. Hart will continue to have a lot of highs, but some lows, as well. We as people just have to remember, he is just 21-years-old with just so much potential.