Carter Hart named first star in impressive NHL debut

It’s the start of a new era in Philadelphia.

Elite 20-year-old goaltending prospect Carter Hart has finally made his way to the Flyers.

Hart made his NHL debut Tuesday evening against the Detroit Red Wings, stopping 20 of 22 shots to help the team snap a four-game losing streak.

It was also the debut of head coach Scott Gordon, who was named to the interim head coach position after the team fired Dave Hakstol on Monday. Gordon and Hart were both promoted from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Hart’s highly anticipated debut brought tons of excitement into the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday evening. The young prospect got a massive ovation when he stepped into the ice for the first time and got loud cheers throughout the night — even when he made routine saves.

Hart stopped 20 of 22 shots, including a clutch pad save in the dying seconds of regulation to earn his first NHL victory. He began his first professional season in the AHL with the Phantoms, posting a .901 save percentage in 17 appearances prior to the callup.

The Flyers are hoping Hart becomes their franchise goaltender. They’ve struggled to find consistent goaltending in recent years and it’s prevented them from advancing beyond the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Flyers actually made NHL history tonight as the first team to use six starters in its first 35 games of the season. Brian Elliott, Michal Neuvirth, Alex Lyon, Calvin Pickard, Anthony Stolarz and now Hart have all appeared in the Philadelphia crease this season due to a variety of injuries.

Hart was named the first star after the victory, skating out to a massive ovation from the home crowd.

Hart’s real dad couldn’t watch the game as he was pacing furiously in the stands, but his billet dad and mom were quite proud.

Welcome to the Carter Hart era.