LOS ANGELES—Goaltender Carter George, who has strong family ties to Manitoulin Island has been signed to a contract by the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The Kings announced last week that they have signed Carter to a three-year, entry-level contract, carrying an average annual value of $875,000 at the NHL level through the 2026-2027 season.
Carter, who is a native of Thunder Bay, is the son of Mike George who is originally from Little Current, and his grandparents also live in Little Current. He was selected 57th overall in the 2024 NHL draft.
The LA Kings insider reported, “For George, it’s a special moment on a few levels. For any young player, signing that first NHL contract is a lifelong dream. Not to mention, that signing bonus will go a long way in Owen Sound. For George, though, he signs that contract with the Kings, the organization he grew up rooting for, making it all the sweeter.”
“George is also a Canadian Hockey League player, so his options for this and next season are either the NHL or the OHL. As a goaltender, he is certain to play in the OHL, with the Kings understanding his timeline to ideally play in the NHL is several seasons down the road,” says the Kings Insider reporter. “Look for George to return to Owen Sound, where he faced the most shots in the OHL last season and impressed while doing so. A potential trip to the World Juniors could also be in the cards for George, as he was one of four goaltenders invited to represent Team Canada at the Summer Showcase event. George was the starter for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in the summer of 2023 and the U-18 World Championships this past spring. He’s competing against a couple of older goaltenders but has international pedigree already to his name, winning gold medals as the starter in net at both events.”
As far as the contract Mr. George signed, “he is eligible for an entry-level slide both this and next season and we should assume those will both factor in as he continues his development in the OHL. Expect to see this contract slide back until George’s age-20 season, when he would be both NHL and American Hockey League-eligible and his three years would kick in. The Kings envision George playing two more seasons in the OHL before, hopefully, stepping in as a potential AHL player in the 2026-2027 season,” the Kings Insider reported.
