Los Angeles Kings sign Carter George to three-year, entry-level contract
The Los Angeles Kings announced they’ve signed goaltender Carter George to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal carries an average annual value of $875,000 through the 2026-27 season.
King Carter! 👑
We've signed 2024 second-round-pick Carter George to an entry-level contract!
Full release 📲📰 https://t.co/kfdltbLsfq pic.twitter.com/41Dl6CuniO
The Kings selected George in the second round, 57th overall at the 2024 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old netminder spent last season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Owen Sound Attack. George posted a 23-21-9 record in 2023-24, along with a 3.30 goals against average and .907 save percentage. He appears set to head back as the #1 starter in Owen Sound for the 2024-25 season.
The native of Thunder Bay, ON finished third in the OHL in save percentage and games played and capped off the season being named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team, OHL Third All-Star Team and George took home the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL Scholastic Player of the Year. Needless to say, the Kings are excited for what the future holds.
From OHL rookie to representing Team Canada at the World Under-18 Championship, George has been developing at a rapid pace. Ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft, Daily Faceoff’s prospect analyst Steven Ellis was a big fan of George’s ability to remain focused in big moments.
“George’s game is built around just keeping things steady and relaxed in the crease. At 6-foot-1, George is also on the smaller side, but he’s as confident as they come in this year’s class. Let in a bad goal? He’s going to rob you on your next chance. Nothing seems to bother him, and he also sees through traffic well for a smaller keeper. I thought George was great at the U-18s, especially in the medal round, even if the stats might not fully reflect it.”
As for the Kings, they enter next season with Darcy Kuemper, David Rittich and Phoenix Copley under contract. Los Angeles allowed 2.56 goals per game in 2023-24, ranking them third best in the NHL.