# Jeff Carter
**Jeff Carter** (born 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward from [London, Ontario](https://www.edgepedia.org/london-ontario), who played 19 seasons in the [National Hockey League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-hockey-league) with the [Philadelphia Flyers](https://www.edgepedia.org/philadelphia-flyers), Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins, retiring in April 2024 with 851 points (442 goals, 409 assists) in 1,321 regular-season games and two Stanley Cup championships.[1](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl) • [2](https://www.orr.hockey/player/jeffcarter/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1985, London, Ontario; 6-foot-3, 219-pound forward[2](https://www.orr.hockey/player/jeffcarter/) • [3](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/peenguins-acquire-jeff-carter-los-angeles-kings-323556268) |
| Draft | First round, 11th overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2003 NHL Draft[4](https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/short-shifts/pittsburgh-penguins-new-york-islanders-congratulate-jeff-carter-retirement) |
| Career totals | 851 points (442 goals, 409 assists) in 1,321 games across 19 seasons; 84 points (47 goals, 37 assists) in 133 playoff games[1](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl) |
| Championships | Two Stanley Cups with the Los Angeles Kings (2012, 2014); scored the Cup-clinching goal in Game 6 of the 2012 Final[1](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl) • [2](https://www.orr.hockey/player/jeffcarter/) |
| International | Gold medal with Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics; World Junior silver (2004) and gold (2005)[5](https://www.nhl.com/es/news/jeff-carter-cuelga-los-patines-despues-casi-dos-decadas-en-la-nhl) • [2](https://www.orr.hockey/player/jeffcarter/) |
| Best season | 2008-09 with Philadelphia: career highs of 46 goals, 38 assists, and 84 points in 82 games[3](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/peenguins-acquire-jeff-carter-los-angeles-kings-323556268) |
| Distinction | Led the NHL in game-winning goals in 2008-09 (12) and 2012-13 (8); 88 career game-winning goals, second among active players and 24th all time when he set the mark[3](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/peenguins-acquire-jeff-carter-los-angeles-kings-323556268) • [6](https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_document/prd/xxvgqclcua8wfxpazuco.pdf) |
| Retirement | Announced April 2024 after his final game with Pittsburgh, a 5-4 loss at the New York Islanders on April 17[1](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl) • [7](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/many-special-moments-conclude-carter-s-phenomenal-career) |
## Junior career and draft
Carter played four seasons in the [Ontario Hockey League](https://www.edgepedia.org/ontario-hockey-league) with the Sault Ste. Marie [Greyhounds](https://www.edgepedia.org/greyhounds) from 2001 to 2005, recording 246 points (123 goals, 123 assists) in 236 junior games.[3](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/peenguins-acquire-jeff-carter-los-angeles-kings-323556268) The Philadelphia Flyers selected him in the first round, 11th overall, of the 2003 NHL Draft.[4](https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/short-shifts/pittsburgh-penguins-new-york-islanders-congratulate-jeff-carter-retirement) Internationally at the under-20 level, he tied as Canada's all-time leading scorer at the World Junior Championship and was named to back-to-back Tournament All-Star Teams, winning silver in 2004 and gold in 2005.[2](https://www.orr.hockey/player/jeffcarter/)
He turned professional in 2005 with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the [American Hockey League](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-hockey-league) and helped the team win the Calder Cup, leading the playoffs with 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) in 21 games.[3](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/peenguins-acquire-jeff-carter-los-angeles-kings-323556268)
## NHL career
**Philadelphia and Columbus.** Carter broke into the NHL with Philadelphia in 2005-06 and played six seasons with the Flyers.[4](https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/short-shifts/pittsburgh-penguins-new-york-islanders-congratulate-jeff-carter-retirement) His best season came in 2008-09, when his 46 goals were second in NHL goal scoring and he set career highs with 38 assists and 84 points in 82 games; he also led the league with 12 game-winning goals that year.[2](https://www.orr.hockey/player/jeffcarter/) • [3](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/peenguins-acquire-jeff-carter-los-angeles-kings-323556268) He was named to his first NHL All-Star Game in 2009.[1](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl) He spent the 2011-12 season with the [Columbus Blue Jackets](https://www.edgepedia.org/columbus-blue-jackets), recording 15 goals and 25 points in 39 games while serving as an alternate captain.[8](https://cbjhistory.com/player/jeff-carter/)
**Los Angeles.** In his first partial season he scored an NHL-high eight playoff goals (tied), including the [Stanley Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/stanley-cup)-clinching goal in Game 6 of the 2012 Final, as Los Angeles won its first championship.[3](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/peenguins-acquire-jeff-carter-los-angeles-kings-323556268) During the Kings' 2014 Cup run, his 10 goals and 25 points in 26 playoff games both ranked second in the league.[3](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/peenguins-acquire-jeff-carter-los-angeles-kings-323556268) He led the NHL in game-winning goals again with 8 in the 2012-13 season, was a two-time 30-goal scorer for the Kings, and represented the team as an alternate captain for six seasons.[3](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/peenguins-acquire-jeff-carter-los-angeles-kings-323556268) Over ten seasons in Los Angeles he totaled 383 points (194 goals, 189 assists) in 580 games.[1](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl) He played his 1,000th regular-season game in 2017, becoming the 338th player in NHL history to reach the milestone, and was named to his second All-Star Game that year.[9](https://www.nhl.com/kings/news/jeff-carter-plays-in-his-1-000th-nhl-game-311353446) • [1](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl)
**Pittsburgh.** On April 12, 2021, the Kings traded Carter to the Penguins for conditional 2022 third-round and 2023 fourth-round draft picks, with Los Angeles retaining half of his salary.[3](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/peenguins-acquire-jeff-carter-los-angeles-kings-323556268) He had expected to finish his career in California, but said the move extended his playing days: "I think coming here gave me a couple extra years."[7](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/many-special-moments-conclude-carter-s-phenomenal-career) He scored nine goals in 14 games down the stretch in 2021 and four goals in six games in Pittsburgh's first-round loss to the [Islanders](https://www.edgepedia.org/islanders), then four more goals the following year when the Penguins were eliminated in seven games by the Rangers.[7](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/many-special-moments-conclude-carter-s-phenomenal-career) As his role shifted from scoring center to defensive winger, he played third-line center behind [Sidney Crosby](https://www.edgepedia.org/sidney-crosby) and [Evgeni Malkin](https://www.edgepedia.org/evgeni-malkin) for his first three seasons, then embraced a fourth-line role in 2023-24, finishing with 15 points (11 goals, four assists) in 72 games, mostly at right wing.[1](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl) • [7](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/many-special-moments-conclude-carter-s-phenomenal-career) Earlier that season he became the 70th player in NHL history to appear in 1,300 games.[7](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/many-special-moments-conclude-carter-s-phenomenal-career)
## Final game and retirement
Carter announced his retirement after Pittsburgh's 2023-24 season finale, a 5-4 loss to the [New York Islanders](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-islanders) at [UBS Arena](https://www.edgepedia.org/ubs-arena) on April 17, 2024.[1](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl) • [7](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/many-special-moments-conclude-carter-s-phenomenal-career) He scored his final NHL goal at 10:56 of the third period, a power-play tip-in from a Sidney Crosby feed that tied the game 4-4 before the Islanders' Simon Holmstrom scored the winner at 14:27.[1](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl) Announced as the game's Third Star, he was greeted by both teams in a handshake line, and his wife Megan and children Caden and Emersyn joined him at the bench.[1](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl) • [4](https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/short-shifts/pittsburgh-penguins-new-york-islanders-congratulate-jeff-carter-retirement) • [7](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/many-special-moments-conclude-carter-s-phenomenal-career)
"I'm going to be a dad. You miss a lot being a hockey player, you're in and out in a way," Carter said after the game. "My family sacrificed a lot for me to live out my dream. I'm going to be home and be a dad, and then figure it out from there."[1](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl) He and his family planned to remain in Pittsburgh, where they had moved full time in August 2023.[1](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl) Crosby presented his retirement gift the next morning, a Toro TimeCutter riding lawnmower.[7](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/many-special-moments-conclude-carter-s-phenomenal-career)
## Playing style and legacy
Carter was an all-situational center described as a committed 200-foot player, and in 2014-15 he led the Kings with 27 five-on-five assists while maintaining an even-strength pace of 1.56 assists per 60 minutes, sixth in the Western Conference among qualifying skaters.[10](https://lakingsinsider.com/2015/08/14/player-evaluation-carter-4/) His 88 career game-winning goals ranked second among active players and 24th in NHL history when he set the mark in March 2023.[6](https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_document/prd/xxvgqclcua8wfxpazuco.pdf) Penguins coverage described his 442 goals, 851 points, and two Stanley Cups as putting him "knocking on the door of the Hockey Hall of Fame."[7](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/many-special-moments-conclude-carter-s-phenomenal-career) Coach Mike Sullivan called him "an extension of the coaching staff" in his later [Pittsburgh](https://www.edgepedia.org/pittsburgh) seasons, and Crosby, his teammate from the 2004 World Junior Championship, said at the retirement announcement that Carter had "basically won everything possible."[7](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/many-special-moments-conclude-carter-s-phenomenal-career)
## References
1. [Carter of Penguins retires from NHL after 19 seasons, NHL.com (Wes Crosby, April 18, 2024)](https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-carter-retires-from-nhl)
2. [Jeff Carter, ORR Hockey player profile](https://www.orr.hockey/player/jeffcarter/)
3. [Penguins Acquire Jeff Carter from the Kings for Conditional Draft Picks, Pittsburgh Penguins (April 12, 2021)](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/peenguins-acquire-jeff-carter-los-angeles-kings-323556268)
4. [Penguins, Islanders line up to congratulate Carter after last NHL game, NHL.com (Anna Kulesa, April 18, 2024)](https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/short-shifts/pittsburgh-penguins-new-york-islanders-congratulate-jeff-carter-retirement)
5. [Jeff Carter cuelga los patines después de casi dos décadas en la NHL, NHL.com/es (April 18, 2024)](https://www.nhl.com/es/news/jeff-carter-cuelga-los-patines-despues-casi-dos-decadas-en-la-nhl)
6. [Washington Capitals media guide, NHL media (Jeff Carter career notes)](https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_document/prd/xxvgqclcua8wfxpazuco.pdf)
7. [Many Special Moments Conclude Carter's Phenomenal Career, Pittsburgh Penguins (Michelle Crechiolo, April 18, 2024)](https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/many-special-moments-conclude-carter-s-phenomenal-career)
8. [Jeff Carter, Columbus Blue Jackets History Website](https://cbjhistory.com/player/jeff-carter/)
9. [Jeff Carter Plays in His 1,000th NHL Game, Los Angeles Kings](https://www.nhl.com/kings/news/jeff-carter-plays-in-his-1-000th-nhl-game-311353446)
10. [Player evaluation: Carter, LA Kings Insider (August 14, 2015)](https://lakingsinsider.com/2015/08/14/player-evaluation-carter-4/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Hockey and remaining team sports › Ice hockey players and personnel › Centers › Retired centers of the past*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license