Carter John Hutton, born on December 19, 1985, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Throughout his career, Hutton played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several teams, showcasing his skills and dedication to the sport.
Early Career
Before making his mark in the NHL, Hutton played for the Fort William North Stars of the SIJHL. In 35 regular-season games during the 2005-06 season, he posted an impressive 32-1-0 record with a 1.90 GAA and a .925 Sv%. During the 2006 playoffs, he continued his stellar performance with a 7-0 record, a 1.57 GAA, and a .921 Sv%. Hutton was named the top Goalie in SIJHL in 2005-06. He also won back-to-back Junior A Championships in the SIJHL with Fort William.
Collegiate Career at UMass Lowell
Hutton's collegiate career at UMass Lowell saw him achieve several milestones and accolades. Here's a breakdown of his performance over three seasons:
- Freshman Year: Made 19 appearances and 17 starts, going 3-10-5 with a 2.84 GAA and a .889 Sv%. He started 13 of the first 16 games for UML. Named Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week (10/16), Rookie of the Week (11/5) and was a two-time member of the league's weekly Honor Roll. Recorded first career shutout with 14 saves in UML's 5-0 win against Merrimack (11/4).
- Sophomore Year: Made 19 starts and 20 appearances. Missed seven games with an injury (11/24-12/8; 2/15-16). Went 7-11-2 with a 2.48 GAA and a .909 Sv%. Posted back-to-back shutouts (11/20 and 12/29). Set a career-high with a 162:12 shutout streak (11/16-1/11). Made a career-best 42 saves in UML's 4-1 victory over BU in Game 2 of the Hockey East Quarterfinals (3/15).
- Junior Year: Posted a 9-8-1 record with a 2.06 GAA and a .916 Sv% in 19 games (18 starts). Missed nine games due to injury (11/8-12/6). Had three shutouts, two coming over his final five starts. Ranked 9th in the nation and 2nd in Hockey East in GAA. Was 5th in Hockey East in Sv%. Went 2-0 with a 2.12 GAA and a .912 Sv% in the Hockey East playoffs.
On March 26, 2010, Hutton was signed by the Philadelphia Flyers after his season in college at UMass Lowell was over.
Professional Career
Hutton's journey through the NHL saw him play for several teams, each stint marked by unique contributions and milestones.
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Chicago Blackhawks
On August 1, 2011, the Rockford IceHogs signed Hutton to a one-year AHL contract. During the 2011-12 season, on February 23, 2012, the Chicago Blackhawks signed Hutton to a one-year, two-way contract for the remainder of the campaign. On March 26, 2012, the Blackhawks called Hutton up to temporarily replace goaltender Ray Emery, who was out due to an illness. On April 27, 2013, he made his first NHL start against the St. Louis Blues.
Nashville Predators
After three seasons with the Predators as the backup to Rinne, Hutton left as a free agent.
St. Louis Blues
On July 1, 2016, Hutton signed a two-year contract with the St. Louis Blues. Prior to the start of the season, Hutton earned praise from head coach Ken Hitchcock who called him "one of the best players during training camp." He made his debut with the team on October 15, where he made 33 saves for a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers. In his second season with the Blues in 2017-18, Hutton enjoyed a career year in establishing himself as one of the premier backups in the league.
Prior to playing for the Blues during the 2017 NHL Winter Classic, Hutton designed his goaltending mask with various St. Louis markers such as the St.
#40 Carter Hutton [HD]
Buffalo Sabres
Hutton returned to the Sabres for the 2019-20 season where he shared the net with Ullmark once again. Early in the season, Hutton earned his first shutout as a starter for the Sabres in a 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars on October 14. A few days later, he set a franchise record for most saves during a regular-season game with 47 made during a shutout of the Los Angeles Kings. As a result of these shutouts, Hutton led league goaltenders in save percentage, goals-against average, and even-strength save percentage. Following his back-to-back shutouts, Hutton had failed to win a game and was replaced as team starter on December 19 following a 6-1 loss.
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Arizona Coyotes and Retirement
Hutton returned to the Sabres for his final time during the 2020-21 season. After a largely disappointing tenure with the Sabres organization, Hutton left as a free agent and was signed to a one-year, league-minimum $750,000 contract with the Arizona Coyotes on July 28, 2021. Hutton appeared in three games to start the 2021-22 season, before suffering a knee injury against the Florida Panthers on October 25, 2021. On the same day as his reassignment to the Roadrunners, Hutton was traded by the Coyotes to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for future considerations. He agreed to the trade after assurances of remaining with his family and continuing on loan from the Maple Leafs with the Tucson Roadrunners. He was later reassigned to join the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, however did not feature in a game for the remainder of the season.
Carter Hutton officially announced his retirement on June 14, 2022.
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