On Saturday, the Soo Greyhounds honoured Jeff Carter by retiring his iconic #7. His name and number were raised to the rafters, joining the banners of franchise legends Craig Hartsburg, Adam Foote, Ron Francis, Joe Thornton, and Wayne Gretzky.
“A big part of my life is here in Sault Ste. Marie,” Carter reflected in his speech. “I came here as a 16-year-old kid and left as a 20-year-old man. This place is right up near the top for me. The people around me – Hartsy (Craig Hartsburg), my billets, Dave Torrie – they molded me into the man I became.”
Selected 3rd overall in the 2001 OHL Priority Selection from the Strathroy Rockets (GOJHL), Carter quickly became a cornerstone for the Greyhounds. Over four seasons (2001-02 to 2004-05), he played 236 games, averaging more than a point per game with 123 goals and 123 assists for 246 points. He added 12 points (5G, 7A) in 15 playoff appearances.
Carter captained the Hounds in his final two seasons (2003-04, 2004-05). His junior career was decorated with accolades: CHL Top Prospects Game (2002-03), OHL Second All-Star Team (2003-04), OHL First All-Star Team (2004–05), CHL Sportsman of the Year (2005), and CHL First All-Star Team (2005).
On the international stage, Carter represented Canada at the U17, U18, and U20 levels. At the 2005 World Junior Championship, he helped secure gold, scoring seven goals in six games.
“Yeah, the on-ice success really wasn’t there,” Carter admitted. “But it’s the friendships you make over the years that really last.” He remains close with former teammates, seeing Trevor Daley often in Pittsburgh and keeping in touch with Jordan Smith and Tyler Kennedy. “That’s what it’s all about.”
In the 2003 NHL Draft, Carter was selected 11th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers. His professional career spanned 19 seasons with Philadelphia, Columbus, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh. Across 1,321 NHL games, he tallied 442 goals and 409 assists for 851 points. Carter won two Stanley Cups with the Kings (2012, 2014), appeared in two NHL All-Star Games, represented Canada at the 2006 World Championship, and captured Olympic gold in 2014.
At age 40, Carter officially retired after playing his final game with the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 17, 2024.
Carter joked that he told Daley he might need his job with the Penguins organization one day, but for now he’s relishing family life, especially the joy of watching his children continue to grow up.
