A true, feel good story. Carter was one of the last players drafted in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, 200th to be exact, by the Quebec Nordiques. After four years of patience at Michigan State, where he fine tuned his hockey skills in hopes of making the NHL, Carter was traded to the Washington Capitals for nothing more than a 4th-round draft choice.
Undetered, Anson went to camp and impressed the Caps coaching staff enough to play part of the season with the team. But after just 19 games, he was dealt to the Boston Bruins with Jim Carey, Jason Allison, and a draft choice for Bill Ranford, Adam Oates, and Rick Tocchet in the year's biggest trade.
In Boston, Carter developed into a bona fide NHLer. Big and strong, with soft hands around the net, Carter averaged 20 goals a season with the Bruins. He held out as a free agent in 2000. Boston replied by trading Carter to the Edmonton Oilers, along with two draft picks for fellow power-forward Bill Guerin and future considerations. Anson reached star status with the Oilers, nearly making Canada's roster for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
In the stretch run of the 2002-03 season, the financially-strapped Oilers traded Carter, a soon-to-be free agent, to the New York Rangers. Carter failed to catapult the Rangers into the playoffs, but matched his career high of 60 points.
Carter has also experienced considerable success internationally for Canada, winning gold at the World Juniors in 1994 and at the World Championships in 1997 and 2003, including scoring the gold-winning goal in overtime in 2003.
In 2003-04, Carter and the Rangers were struggling and the team had been contemplating the acquisition of Washington Capital forward Jaromir Jagr. Shortly after the Christmas break, all the rumours became true as Jagr landed in the Big Apple and going the other way was Carter. The former Michigan State Spartan played in a mere 19 games with the Caps before being dealt to the Los Angeles Kings just prior to the trading deadline.
Upon his arrival with the Kings, Carter went on to play 15 games with the club before opting to sign as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks following the 2004-05 NHL lock out season.
As a member of the Canucks, Carter tallied a career high 33 goals on a line with twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Carter however was not re-signed by the club following his most productive season at the time.
Following a long summer, Anson Carter signed a one year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets in September of 2006. Carter's stint with the Blue Jackets was short lived however, after only 53 games the club dealt him to the Carolina Hurricanes for a fifth round draft pick in 2008.
