Gene Carr

Eugene William Carr 
*Born: September 17, 1951 in Nanaimo, British Columbia
*Hometown: Nanaimo, British Columbia
*Son of former NHL player Alfred "Red" Carr
*Nickname: "Geno"
*Position: Center / Left Wing
Selected by St. Louis Blues 1st round (#4) in 1971 NHL Amateur Draft
When Carr entered the NHL, he appeared to be one of the more marketable rookies the league had seen in some time. He had long, blond hair and skated like the wind. These factors led fans, the media, and even some of his own team executives to expect the world of him. The hype that surrounded Carr in his rookie year was astounding. St. Louis, which traded him to the New York Rangers after only 15 games with the Blues, talked about winning Stanley Cups with him. The Rangers called him a can't-miss superstar, and one of their own public-relations executives was quoted in The Hockey News saying as much after he scored four points in his first game with the Blueshirts at Madison Square Garden. But the truth was Carr did not have the offensive talent or flair of a Guy Lafleur or Marcel Dionne, even though the people marketing him wanted the public to believe it. He was a remarkably fast skater, but he lacked scoring touch -- evidenced by many missed nets and hit goalposts. Going to New York put more pressure on Carr, since Rangers fans were known to be tough on their own players. When Carr failed to meet expectations, they routinely gave him mock cheers. When he was benched for an entire game, they chanted "We Want Carr" throughout the third period. Ironically, by the time he was just starting to show potential with his first NHL hat trick, he suffered the first major injury of his NHL career and never fully rebounded. The folllowing year, he was nearly killed in the first of two major car accidents during his playing days. One of the people who understood to Carr's story of having been overhyped was his close friend Glenn Frey of The Eagles, who based the song "New Kid in Town" on Carr. The song includes the lyrics "Great expectations, everybody's watching you" and "Everybody loves you, so don't let them down." Overblown expectations aside, Injuries also hindered Carr, and he never panned out to be anything like the player he was billed as until his seventh year in the NHL, when he had 54 points in a 70-game stint with Pittsburgh. When expectations were raised after that season -- he signed a big contract with Atlanta -- Carr again failed to live up to them, and he was out of the league 18 months after his best season. Years later, as a result of his injuries, he had to walk with a cane and eventually required a wheelchair by the time he was in his sixties. 
==Career Statistics==
  	  	  	 	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 	Pts 	PIM
1967-68 	Kelowna Buckaroos 	BCJHL 	 	Statistics Unavailable	Statistics Unavailable	Statistics Unavailable	Statistics Unavailable	Statistics Unavailable	 	 	 	 	 	
1968-69 	Kelowna Buckaroos 	BCJHL 	 	Statistics Unavailable	Statistics Unavailable	Statistics Unavailable	Statistics Unavailable	Statistics Unavailable	 	 	 	 	 	
1969-70 	Flin Flon Bombers 	WCHL 	 	60 	22 	51 	73 	118 	 	6 	6 	5 	11 	4
1970-71 	Flin Flon Bombers 	WCHL 	 	62 	36 	68 	104 	150 	 	17 	12 	18 	30 	42
1971-72 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	14 	3 	2 	5 	9 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1971-72 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	60 	8 	8 	16 	25 	 	16 	1 	3 	4 	21
1972-73 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	50 	9 	10 	19 	50 	 	1 	0 	1 	1 	0
1973-74 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	29 	1 	5 	6 	15 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1973-74 	Providence Reds 	AHL 	 	10 	4 	10 	14 	18 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1973-74 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	21 	6 	11 	17 	36 	 	5 	2 	1 	3 	14
1974-75 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	80 	7 	32 	39 	103 	 	3 	1 	2 	3 	29
1975-76 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	38 	8 	11 	19 	16 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1976-77 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	68 	15 	12 	27 	25 	 	9 	1 	1 	2 	2
1977-78 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	5 	2 	0 	2 	4 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1977-78 	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL 	 	70 	17 	37 	54 	76 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1978-79 	Tulsa Oilers 	CHL 	 	22 	4 	8 	12 	35 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1978-79 	Atlanta Flames 	NHL 	 	30 	3 	8 	11 	6 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
NHL Totals	NHL Totals 	NHL Totals	 	465 	79 	136 	215 	365 	 	35 	5 	8 	13 	66
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Career Moves==
*Traded to NY Rangers by St. Louis with Jim Lorentz and Wayne Connelly for Jack Egers, Andre Dupont and Mike Murphy, November 15, 1971. 
*Traded to Los Angeles by NY Rangers for Los Angeles' 1st round choice (Ron Duguay) in 1977 Amateur Draft, February 15, 1974. 
*Traded to Pittsburgh by Los Angeles with Dave Schultz and Los Angeles' 4th round choice (Shane Pearsall) in 1978 Amateur Draft for Syl Apps Jr. and Hartland Monahan, November 2, 1977. 
*Signed as a free agent by Atlanta, June 6, 1978. 
*Claimed by Winnipeg from Atlanta, June 13, 1979.
== Awards & Achievements ==
*BCJHL Second All-Star Team (1969)
*WCHL Rookie of the Year (1970)
*President's Cup Western Canada Hockey League Championship (1970)
*Western Canada Hockey League First All-Star Team (1971)
== External links ==
*
Category:Born in 1951
Category:Atlanta Flames players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Los Angeles Kings players
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:St. Louis Blues players
Category:Tulsa Oilers (1964–1984) players
Category:Providence Reds players
Category:Flin Flon Bombers (WHL) players
Category:Retired in 1979
Category:Manitoba junior hockey All-Time Roster
Category:Kelowna Buckaroos alumni
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players
Category:St. Louis Blues draft picks