Thx bud for the two Stanley Cups and all the memories.
Jeffery James Carter, aka Carts aka Cartsy aka probably a lot of other nicknames has officially announced his retirement following the Pittsburgh Penguins’ final game of the 2023-24 season. The Penguins made a serious push to the playoffs in the last month but just fell a little short.
Part of the illustrious 2003 draft class, Carter made his NHL debut with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2005-06 along with fellow rookie and later fellow Cup winner Mike Richards. After a series of rumors abounded about both Richards and Carter in 2011, the duo were sent their separate ways from the city of Brotherly Love. Richards came to L.A. and Carter was shipped off to the Columbus Blue Jackets for eight months until General Manager Dean Lombardi traded for him on February 23, 2012.
Carter was instrumental in the team’s stretch run to make the playoffs. In his first 16 games with Los Angeles, he scored nine points, along with Jonathan Quick’s stellar performance in net, helped the Kings inch over the hump just enough to sneak into the playoffs as an 8-seed. Over the course of his tenure as general manager, Lombardi built the team carefully, often speaking about a final (or sometimes “missing”) piece to the puzzle. In 2012, Lombardi nailed that so-called missing piece. And it was true. Carter truly was the missing piece. His presence oriented the team in such a way that there was now depth down the middle, easing pressure on Kopitar’s line; Jordan Nolan and Dwight King came up from the Manchester Monarchs; and everyone’s roles now aligned perfectly with their skillsets.
In the playoffs, Carter was absolutely pivotal in the Kings’ first run to the Stanley Cup and was the offensive spark the team needed, scoring eight goals and five assists in 20 games. He had a dominant performance against the (then called) Phoenix Coyotes with a hat trick in Game 2, scored the overtime game winning goal in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, and scored what ended up being the series clinching goal on the major power play in Game 6.
Carter’s 13 points in 18 games weren’t quite enough to get the team past the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013, even after taking a stick to the face from Duncan Keith, resulting in the latter’s suspension for the rest of the series.
In 2014, the now-29-year-old was looked to as a leader, on and off the ice, but most especially in shepherding dynamic young players Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, a combination eventually dubbed “That ’70s Line” during the team’s playoff run. And once again, Carter was critical to the team’s success in their second climb up the mountain, this time tallying 25 points in 26 games.
Throughout the course of his NHL career, Carter became known as a game-breaker. He had the speed, vision, and silky smooth hands to be a difference maker. His goals were always timely. Hat tricks were somewhat of a rarer occurrence during the height of Carter’s career but he always made them look so easy.
But Carter wasn’t just good at scoring goals. He was physical when need-be and was a great defensive forward. No, he wasn’t an Anze Kopitar type with stalwart defense, but he was always in the right spot where he needed to be and was an essential part of special teams.
Carter was always one to show up in big games and big moments, even when those celebrating his own personal accomplishments. There’s no better example than capping off a thousand games with a tip-in goal, something he’d become somewhat famous for in the latter stages of his time with the Kings.
In January of 2021, Carter was dealt to the Penguins for a conditional 2022 3rd round pick and a conditional 2023 4th round pick (those picks became (Lucas Edmonds at 86th and Bogdan Konyushkov, 110th overall). One of his most iconic moments in black, gold, yellow, and white came against the Buffalo Sabres with an outstanding outburst of four goals.
Carter only made it to the postseason twice with Pittsburgh and had a final regular season scoreline of 52-48-100 in 241 games played. And while not quite a fairytale ending befitting Hollywood, in his final NHL game, Carter scored a bittersweet game tying goal versus the New York Islanders.
Postgame, all of the Isles players lined up to congratulate Carter on a great career.
But wait, there’s more!
Oof, right in the feels.
A hearty congratulations once again to Carter on more than 1300 games played and scoring 442 goals over the course of his career and wish him and his family all the best in retirement.