Flyers’ Carter Hart granted indefinite leave of absence citing personal reasons

Philadelphia Flyers’ General Manager Daniel Briere released a statement on Tuesday saying goaltender Carter Hart has “been granted an indefinite leave of absence citing personal reasons.”

Briere also said the club will have no further comment at this time.

Soon after, the Flyers announced after that they placed forward Owen Tippett on injured reserve and recalled goaltender Cal Petersen from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Tippet has 18 goals and 12 assists for 30 points in 46 games with the Flyers this season. The 24-year-old forward left Saturday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche in the third period with a lower-body injury.

Petersen, 29, is 5-8-2 with a .890 SV% with a 3.26 GAA in 15 games with the AHL’s Phantoms. He made two appearances with the Flyers in 2023-24, going 1-1-0 with an .896 SV%.

The 25-year-old Hart is 12-9-3 with a .906 SV% and a 2.80 GAA in 26 appearances this season. Drafted by the Flyers in the second round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Hart has a career record of 96-93-29 with a .906 SV% and a 2.94 GAA in 227 appearances across six NHL seasons.

Hart is in the final year of a three-year, $11.94 million contract signed in August 2021. He will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2023-24 season.

The Flyers are 25-16-6 with 56 points, second in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division. Their next game is Tuesday night at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The team then flies to Michigan to face the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, then wrap up the week on Saturday as their host the Boston Bruins.