Jeff Carter

Lore & Background

Carter played junior hockey for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League, where he was a First Team All-Star and won the William Hanley Trophy and CHL Sportsman of the Year honors in his final season. He joined the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League after his junior career and helped the team win the Calder Cup in 2005. Carter made the Flyers' roster in 2005–06 alongside fellow rookies Mike Richards and R. J. Umberger. He led the Flyers in scoring during the 2008–09 season with 46 goals, second overall in the NHL, and signed an 11-year, $58 million contract extension with the Flyers in November 2010.

Carter was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in June 2011 in exchange for Jakub Voráček, a first-round pick, and a third-round pick. Despite being injured early in the season, he was named an alternate captain with the Blue Jackets. In February 2012, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Jack Johnson and a conditional first-round pick, reuniting him with Mike Richards. Carter scored the Cup-winning goal in Game 6 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final. He won a second Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014 and, along with Drew Doughty, became one of the few NHL players to win both an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same year. Carter played his 1,000th NHL game in November 2019, scoring the game-winning goal. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in April 2021.

Reader's Guide

Jeff Carter's NHL career spanned 19 seasons and four teams, with his most notable achievements coming with the Los Angeles Kings, where he won two Stanley Cups and scored the Cup-winning goal in 2012. His 92 career game-winning goals rank tied for 18th most in NHL history. Carter also represented Canada internationally, winning gold medals at the under-18, under-20, and Winter Olympic levels, and tying as Canada's all-time leading scorer at the World Juniors. His 46-goal season with the Flyers in 2008–09 placed him second in the NHL and earned him his first All-Star selection. Carter's career was marked by key trades, including the 2011 move from Philadelphia to Columbus and the 2012 trade to Los Angeles, where he became a central figure in the Kings' championship runs. His later years with the Kings and Penguins saw his scoring decline after a significant ankle injury in 2017.

Did You Know?

• Carter scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Los Angeles Kings in Game 6 of the 2012 Final.
• Carter played his 1,000th NHL game on November 16, 2019, and scored the game-winning goal.
• He was named to back-to-back Tournament All-Star Teams at the World Juniors.