ELMONT, N.Y. — Jeff Carter retired from the NHL in memorable fashion, scoring a goal in his final game Wednesday night.
“I kind of knew at the beginning of the year that this was it,” Carter said after scoring on a power play in the third period in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena.
“It was time.”
Carter, 39, was joined in New York by his wife, children and other family members. To his surprise, the Islanders asked him to take a victory lap normally reserved for home team players.
“It was good,” Carter said. “Bo (Horvat) came up to me and said a few guys wanted to talk afterwards. It was really nice of them. There are also guys on the other side who have been there for a while – and who I have played against quite a bit.
“A lot of respect for these guys.”
A classy gesture for a classy guy. pic.twitter.com/6OdoBgH2dc
– Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 18, 2024
Carter played for four franchises in his 19 seasons, including a pair of Stanley Cup champions with the Los Angeles Kings from 2011-12 to 2020-21, when he was acquired by the Penguins at the trade deadline .
Once a fierce rival to the Penguins’ longtime core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, Carter was warmly welcomed from his first days in Pittsburgh. He knew Crosby from his time with Team Canada at the 2006 IIHF World Championships and the 2014 Winter Olympics, and quickly won over everyone in the Penguins organization upon his arrival.
A consistent scorer in his prime, Carter scored at least 25 goals eight times. He finished with 851 points in the regular season.
The playoffs are where Carter raised his profile.
He produced 47 goals and 84 points in 133 playoff games, including 18 goals during the Kings Cups in 2012 and 2014. He scored eight goals in 13 playoff games with the Penguins, who missed the playoffs in both recent seasons.
Carter won the opening faceoff against the Islanders on Wednesday night. Crosby, the Penguins captain, usually does this, but he moved to the wing for this tie — an early sign that Carter was nearing the end of his playing days.
The Penguins, especially Crosby and Malkin on the power play, tried to give Carter scoring opportunities throughout the game. His goal allowed the Penguins to tie the Islanders in the third period, and Carter scored it from one of his favorite spots – camped near the crease.
“When (coach Mike Sullivan) put me on the court, I knew I wasn’t going to leave the net,” Carter said of his chance to play on the top power play unit.
“You could tell they were trying to achieve it whenever they could.”
Carter hadn’t told many people about his retirement plans, although he admitted Wednesday night that his children’s constant presence in the Penguins locker room after practices and games was telling. His family moved from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh last August, and Carter hasn’t ruled out the possibility of joining the Penguins in some capacity.
But he has plans before taking on a front-office role.
“I’m going to be a dad,” he said, smiling with a missing tooth. “You really miss being a hockey player. In a way, you go in and out. You’re not really there, you know?
“My family – all hockey families – sacrifice a lot so that we can achieve our dreams. I’m going to stay home and be a dad for a while, and we’ll figure it out from there.
Jeff Carter leads the Penguins off the ice pic.twitter.com/4rwSvrEZ37
– Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) April 18, 2024
Crosby, who failed to score on a late penalty shot against the Islanders, didn’t give Carter a “chance to play a little longer.”
“We played together for a long time at different levels from a young age,” Crosby said of Carter. “I have total respect for him. An incredible teammate.
Crosby and Malkin, in particular, fought memorable battles against Carter when the latter played for the Philadelphia Flyers early in his career. For a time, Carter and Mike Richards were seen in Philadelphia as the Flyers’ answer to Crosby and Malkin in Pittsburgh.
“I have 100 percent respect for him, ever since the Philly series in 2008 and 2009,” Malkin said of those memorable playoff battles between the Penguins and Flyers. “He was so strong, so fast. It was difficult to play against him. It’s the same thing when he was with Team Canada. I’m just glad I got to be his teammate.
There was no ill will when Carter became a Penguin, after waiving a contract clause allowing the Kings to trade him to Pittsburgh four years ago. In fact, equipment manager Jon Taglianetti called former Penguins great Paul Coffey to ask for his blessing so Carter could wear his longtime No. 77 with the Penguins.
“You’re being traded, you don’t know what to expect, do you?” Carter said Wednesday night, recalling that exchange.
“I still remember walking in there that first day and it was like I’d been there for five years. It’s an incredible group here – guys with great character who accepted me and my family right away. It really is a family here.
Required reading
(Photo: Jason Mowry/Getty Images)