ARLINGTON, Va. – Former Washington Capital Bobby Carpenter will be one of four Americans inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame this year, USA Hockey announced today. Carpenter, who played 19 seasons in the NHL between Washington, the New York Rangers, Los Angeles, Boston and New Jersey, will join Aaron Broten, John MacInnes and John Vanbiesbrouck as the Hall’s class of 2007. The foursome will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 12, at a dinner ceremony hosted at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in Grand Forks, N.D.
Carpenter, who was drafted by Washington with the third overall pick in the 1981 Entry Draft, became the first player to make the jump from high school to the NHL when he joined the club in 1981. He skated in 490 games for the Caps in two stints with the team totaling seven seasons, tallying 188 goals and 207 assists for 395 career points. He became the first American-born player to score more than 50 goals in a season when he netted 53 goals in the 1984-85 campaign, the second-best single-season goal total in Capitals history.
Carpenter ranks sixth in franchise history in career goals and 14th in career points. He is one of 22 Capitals to appear in an NHL All-Star Game, representing Washington in 1985. He was a member of the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils in 1994-95 and during his 19-year NHL career dating from 1981-99, he posted 728 points (320 goals, 408 assists) in 1,178 games.
Carpenter also represented the United States at one World Championship, two Canada Cups and one World Junior Championship. Following his retirement in 1999, he served as both an assistant and head coach in the American Hockey League with the Albany River Rats. He rejoined the New Jersey Devils as an assistant coach and won a pair of Stanley Cup rings in 2000 and 2003.
Carpenter will join fellow Caps alumni Dave Christian, Phil Housley, Rod Langway and Craig Patrick as members of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. The Hall was founded in 1973 and includes 130 enshrined members. Inductees are chosen on the basis of accomplishments in the game of hockey, sportsmanship, character, contributions to their team(s) or organization(s) and contributions to the game of hockey in general. A nominee must have distinguished him/herself by exceptional performance and outstanding character reflecting favorably upon the game of hockey. |
