At this year’s IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, Canada is going with a couple of first-timer’s in goal, Matt Murray, 24, and Carter Hart, 20. However, they’re both well-known names to hockey fans. Murray is a Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Hart is a veteran of two World Junior Championships, which are high-profile events in Canada, and from them has taken home a silver and a gold medal.
“To get the opportunity to play for Canada a couple of times already, you get a chance to know what they’re about and the history that they have,” said Hart. “Any chance you get to play for your country is always an honour and Hockey Canada does a great job of taking care of us, making sure we have everything we need to succeed. It’s a lot of fun.”
Through four games, Murray and Hart have each played two games. Hart’s games may be perceived as the easier assignments against Great Britain and France, but he’s done the job by stopping 33 out of 35 total shots, posting an 8-0 shutout against GB and winning 5-2 against a French team that wouldn’t quit.
“It was 3-2 there for a while, but you just play the game,” he said. “You just focus on your job and don’t worry about the score.”
On getting the call to play in his first senior men’s World Championship, Hart said: “It was exciting at the time. We’d just been eliminated from playoff contention in Philly when I got the call. Obviously, you want to make the playoffs but any time you get a chance to continue your season, it’s a great opportunity to play for Canada.”
It’s been a whirlwind season for Hart that has taken the first-year pro from the Leigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL up to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he became the team’s starting goalie, and finally overseas to Slovakia.
“I was just trying to go with the flow,” he said. “When I got called up, I was super excited. I tried not to get ahead of myself or dwell on the past, but just tried to live in the moment and enjoy it.”
So far, that approach has worked for Hart. This past season alone, the Flyers used eight different goalies, and Hart’s 31 games played, 16 wins, 2.83 goals-against average and 91.7 save percentage all led the team. Over the past couple of decades, the franchise that once had Vezina Trophy winners and fan favourites Bernie Parent, Pelle Lindbergh and Ron Hextall has become known as somewhat of a goalie graveyard.
“You know, that’s something I hear all the time and people talk about it, but that has no effect on how I play or who I am,” he said about the troubles past goalies have had in the City of Brotherly Love. “I don’t really worry about that.”
His fine play has also endeared him to the notoriously tough Philadelphia fans.
“The fans have been good. They’re passionate and they care about the Flyers, so as hockey players in Philadelphia, we try not to disappoint them.”
One interesting thing about Hart playing for this Canadian team is it gives him a chance to meet and get to know Alain Vigneault ahead of his debut as head coach of the Flyers next season.
“It’s nice to have A.V. here,” said Hart. “He’ll be my coach next year, so it’s nice to get to know him a little bit here and see what he’s about. So far, he seems like a really nice guy and easy to get along with, so for me and Couts [Flyers centre Sean Couturier], it’s nice to have him here.”
Continuing on Vigneault, Hart said: “Obviously, he’s a winning coach. He went to the Stanley Cup Finals with Vancouver and with New York, so he’s got a good track record. He’s been good so far and the guys seem to really like him.”
Vigneault also appreciates the opportunity to get to know his goalie.
“There’s no doubt,” Vigneault said after Canada’s win over France. “I think for him, to play in these types of games is a big bonus. There’s a lot of exposure and good hockey being played. Tonight we were up 3-0 and they made it 3-2, he made some saves to keep us ahead and that’s what you want from your goalie.”
However, neither Vigneault nor Hart is thinking too much about the Flyers while they’re in Slovakia.
“Right now, we’re just focussing on the job we have here with Team Canada and maybe once the tournament’s over, it’ll be time to focus on Philadelphia,” Hart said.
“I just want to play as many games as I can and play well here. I want to play a lot of games so I’ll make sure I get in a good summer of training so I’ll be prepared for next year.”