Jeff Carter

Jeff Carter (born on January 1, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).

During his NHL career, Jeff won the 2012 Stanley Cup, appeared in one All-Star Game in 2009 and led the Philadelphia Flyers (for whom he played six seasons) in scoring during the 2008-09 season; his 46 goals during that season were good for second overall in the NHL.

Jeff also played 39 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2011-12 NHL season before being traded to Los Angeles. He is good friends with Mike Richards, his teammate from both the Flyers and Kings.

He played junior in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for four seasons, earning OHL First Team All-Star, William Hanley Trophy and CHL Sportsman of the Year honours in his final year. Joining the Flyers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms, immediately after his junior career, Jeff helped the team win the Calder Cup in 2005.

Internationally, Jeff has won gold medals with Team Canada at the under-18 and under-20 levels. During his under-20 career, he tied as Canada's all-time leading scorer at the World Juniors and was named to back-to-back Tournament All-Star Teams. Jeff has also represented Canada at the 2006 IIHF World Championship.

Early Hockey Career
Jeff played minor hockey in London, Ontario with the London Jr. Knights rep program. He played bantam hockey with the AAA Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) before spending a season with the Strathroy Rockets, a Junior B team.

Jeff was selected in the 1st round (3rd overall) of the 2001 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He began his OHL career in 2001–02, recording 35 points over 63 games as a rookie. The following season, Jeff improved to 71 points. In the off-season, the Philadelphia Flyers selected him 11th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Returning to the Greyhounds following his draft, Jeff earned Second Team OHL All-Star honours in 2003–04 with a 66-point campaign. Following his third OHL season, he was assigned by the Flyers to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms for their 2005 Calder Cup playoff season.

Jeff recorded 5 points over 12 games in his initial stint at the professional level. Back in the OHL for his final junior season in 2004–05, he recorded a major junior career-high 74 points (34 goals and 40 assists) in 55 games.

Jeff was a First Team OHL All-Star that season and won the OHL and CHL Sportsman of the Year Awards. After the Greyhounds were eliminated from the 2005 OHL playoffs, he joined the Phantoms once more and recorded 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) in 21 playoff games, helping the team win the Calder Cup.

Philadelphia Flyers
The next season, in 2005–06, Jeff made the Flyers out of training camp. He was joined by fellow rookies Mike Richards and R.J. Umberger, who were both also instrumental in the Phantoms' Calder Cup championship of the previous season. On October 27, 2005, Jeff scored his first career NHL goal against Roberto Luongo of the Florida Panthers. He finished the campaign first in team-scoring among rookies with 23 goals and 42 points.

After 37- and 53-point efforts, in his second and third NHL seasons, Jeff and the Flyers agreed to a 3-year, $15-million contract extension, on June 27, 2008, days before he was set to become a restricted free agent. He responded with a breakout campaign in 2008–09, leading the team in scoring with 46 goals and 84 points.

During the season, Jeff was named to his first NHL All-Star Game, representing the Eastern Conference. Despite a strong regular season, he was held to just 1 goal in 6 playoff games as the Flyers were eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

Jeff's series was also marred when he failed to score with an open net in front of him in Game 2 of the series where Penguins goalie Marc-André Fleury made a toe save to block the shot that would have given the Flyers a 3-1 lead late in the third period. Jeff was later called off for a hooking penalty and the Penguins scored to tie the game and eventually win in overtime.

It was later revealed that Jeff had played the final four games of the series with a separated shoulder.

On November 13, 2010, Carter signed an 11-year, $58 million contract extension with the Flyers through to the 2021–2022 season. The deal features a full no-trade clause from 2012–15, followed by a limited no-trade clause thereafter.

Columbus Blue Jackets
While in the midst of a major re-tooling, the Flyers traded Jeff to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jakub Voracek, a 2011 first round pick and a 2011 third round pick.

Jeff has a history of sustaining foot and knee injuries that have kept him out of the lineup during crucial stretches. This includes the 2009-10 playoffs, when the Flyers went to the Cup Finals, the 2010-11 playoffs, and a few weeks near the start of the 2011-12 season with his new team, the Blue Jackets, who subsequently got off to the worst start of any team in the previous nineteen years of NHL history.

Los Angeles Kings
On February 23, 2012, Jeff was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Jack Johnson and a conditional first round pick, reuniting him with former Philadelphia Flyer and close friend Mike Richards.

On June 11, 2012, Jeff scored the eventual Stanley Cup-winning goal in Game 6 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals against the New Jersey Devils. He would finish the playoffs with eight goals and five assists.

During the lockout-shortened 2012-13 NHL season, Jeff scored 26 goals along with 7 assists playing in all 48 regular season games.

International Play
Jeff debuted internationally with Team Canada at the 2003 IIHF World U18 Championships. He scored 6 points in 7 games, helping Canada to their first gold medal at the tournament.

The following year, Jeff moved on to the Canadian national under-20 team, playing in back-to-back World Junior Championships. Winning silver in 2004 and gold in 2005, he was named to the tournament's All-Star Team in both instances. His combined 12 goals over both years tied him with Eric Lindros (later also tied by John Tavares) for Canada's all-time record at the World Juniors.

Lindros had played in three tournaments between 1990 and 1992 (one more than both Carter and Tavares). Jeff had been joined on the World Junior squads by two future Flyers teammates, Mike Richards and Braydon Coburn.

Following his rookie NHL season, Jeff played for the Canadian men's team at the 2006 World Championships. He recorded six points in nine games as Canada failed to qualify for a medal. He was also selected as a reserve by Team Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympics should an injury occur.