Brett Howden drawn into same online storm as Carter Hart

Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden has found himself in the spotlight as he’s become the leading goal scorer in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, his name has also surfaced in online discussions alongside teammate Carter Hart, who’s getting a lot of heat since his return to the NHL.

During the first game of the Final in Carolina, some fans were heard chanting in reference to the ongoing controversy involving Hart, and again last night, during Game 2.

However, many fans have been quick to point out that Howden was also involved in the controversy with his testimony connected to the 2018 Hockey Canada investigation in London, Ontario.

Howden was among several former members of Canada’s World Junior program who were called to provide evidence during proceedings related to the case involving five ex-NHL players. The group was ultimately found not guilty of sexual assault by an Ontario Superior Court judge in July 2025.

During testimony, Howden was questioned about his recollection of events from June 19, 2018, and became emotional while discussing the impact the situation had on him and his family. At points during his evidence, he spoke about the difficulty of recounting the events and the strain it placed on his personal life.

Howden read the text messages, one of which read, “Dude, I’m so happy I left when all the (expletive) went down.” Referring specifically to when he left Room 209, Howden texted Raddysh, “Duber (Dube) was smacking the girl’s (butt) so hard, it looked like it hurt so bad.”

Under cross-examination, Howden stated that he believed he was being truthful at the time, while also noting the difficulty of fully recalling details several years later.

And so, fans online have been adamant that Howden also needs to hear the criticism and malaise and some quickly called him out with comments like:

“Brett Howden: Didn’t try to stop the assault Heard E.M weeping And then proceeded to lie while under oath Yet people tend to act like he did no wrong”

Or

“hyping Brett Howden, even tho that fucking piece of shit heard her weeping and lied under oath, he did absolutely nothing to stop the rape. “

We’ve all seen how much heat Hart has been getting and now, with Howden being a key player in the Knights’ playoff run, there is a feeling he will get some too.