The Redemption Of Jeff Carter: Part One

Jun 13, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (30) makes a save as defenseman Anton Stralman (6) and left wing Carl Hagelin (62) try to clear the puck away from Los Angeles Kings center Jeff Carter (77) and right wing Marian Gaborik (left) during the second period in game five of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

“Columbus”

Carter floundered sadly in Columbus.  Heartbroken, embarrassed and in a daze, Carter struggled with how things played out with the trade and “break up” with the team that drafted him into the NHL.  If Carter’s critics were suggesting that Carter didn’t always give it his all, or was truly only a one-dimensional player, he was making them look brilliant by doing just that for the Blue Jackets whether intentional or not.  Carter was injured early in the season and seemed stuck in first gear for the rest of his time there.  As short as a stay that it ended up being, this was a dark time in the life of Jeff Carter.  Stuck in a rut, feeling betrayed and with his confidence at an all time low, he was drifting off in the waves of his own personal purgatory.

On February 23, 2012, an olive branch was extended to him as the Blue Jackets traded the often injured, seemingly depressed and disinterested Jeff Carter to the same team that the Flyers traded his best friend Mike Richards to just months before, the Los Angeles Kings.  With this trade came a new beginning and chance for Carter to redeem himself and prove his critics (and the Philadelphia Flyers organization) that they were wrong in their opinion of him.  This was a chance to prove that he did have what it takes to get the job done and had a lot more to offer than what he was being credited for.  What happens next is equivalent to the age-old story of a Phoenix rising from the ashes (and I don’t mean the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes) but from a hockey aspect.  What happens next is what may push Jeff Carter’s name in the future into the higher echelon of legendary status, even if it may just be for the Los Angeles Kings and its fan base.  What happens next would truly be heroic and inspirational in every definition of the word heroism when considered from a sporting context.

What happens next … will have to wait until next week in Part Two of my article.  STAY TUNED!!!

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