# John Carter (ice hockey)

John A. Carter (born May 3, 1963) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played for the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. Carter also represented the United States at the 1986 Ice Hockey World Championships.

## Early life

Carter was born in Winchester, Massachusetts and raised in nearby Woburn. As a youth, Carter played in the 1976 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Assabet Valley.

## Career

Carter played four years with the RPI Engineers men's ice hockey team at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. During his four years, he was named an All-American and helped Rensselaer to win the 1985 NCAA Championships.
Undrafted out of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1986, Carter signed a three-year contract with the Boston Bruins. Carter had a 10-year career jumping between the NHL and AHL. In a 1993 preseason game, he suffered a serious eye injury. After eight eye surgeries in the next few years, his eye finally had to be removed in 1996, leading to his retirement.

## Personal life

In 1990, while playing for the Boston Bruins, Carter had a relationship with Joanne Presti. They had a daughter, Alyssa, born in 1991. The couple was never married and Carter was not involved in his daughter's life; he said in 2004 that he had only met his daughter once. In January 2004, Presti and her daughter were murdered in their home in Woburn, Massachusetts. Joanne had also been raped. While Carter was questioned by police, his voluntary DNA sample did not match DNA found at the scene. Michael Bizanowicz, a convicted sex offender and acquaintance of Presti, was later charged and convicted of the crimes.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | P | PIM |
| 1982–83 | RPI Engineers | ECAC | 29 | 16 | 22 | 38 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983–84 | RPI Engineers | ECAC | 38 | 35 | 39 | 74 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984–85 | RPI Engineers | ECAC | 37 | 43 | 29 | 72 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | RPI Engineers | ECAC | 27 | 23 | 18 | 41 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986–87 | Moncton Golden Flames | AHL | 58 | 25 | 30 | 55 | 60 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 1986–87 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1987–88 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 76 | 38 | 38 | 76 | 145 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 44 |
| 1987–88 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988–89 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 24 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988–89 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 44 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 44 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 1989–90 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 76 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 26 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 45 |
| 1990–91 | Maine Mariners | AHL | 16 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1990–91 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 50 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 42 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 116 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 18 |
| 1991–92 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992–93 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 9 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992–93 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 55 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993–94 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 47 | 11 | 5 | 16 | 82 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | Worcester IceCats | AHL | 64 | 18 | 9 | 27 | 96 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 244 | 40 | 50 | 90 | 201 | 31 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 51 |

## Awards and honors

| Award | Year |
| All-ECAC Hockey Second team | 1983–84 |
| AHCA East First-Team All-American | 1983–84 |
| All-ECAC Hockey First Team | 1984–85 |
| AHCA East Second-Team All-American | 1984–85 |