Anson Carter was a four-time 20-goal scorer who had played for five NHL teams before signing a one-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks for the 2005-06 season. Little did anyone know that Carter, from Toronto, whose parents had emigrated from Barbados, would become a perfect fit with the Sedin twins.
Coach Marc Crawford put Carter, then 31, at right wing with Henrik Sedin at center and Daniel Sedin at left wing. The chemistry on the line was almost instantaneous. Henrik Sedin went from 42 points to 75, Daniel went from 54 to 71, and Carter had 55 points, nearly doubling his total from the previous season (28). Coincidentally, he scored a career-high 33 goals (Henrik's number) and had 22 assists (Daniel's number). Twenty-one of Carter's 33 goals were assisted by both Sedins, who credited Carter as a big part of their improvement.
"When we came back (after the 2004-05 lockout), we could see our work paying off," the Sedins wrote in a story for The Players' Tribune on Sept. 7, 2017. "We also found a linemate who would let us play our game. He knew how to be successful in the league. He helped us work on our cycle game down low because he gave us that confidence to get in those gritty areas and be physical. He was sort of the opposite of us."
Carter's time in Vancouver was brief. He and the Canucks couldn't agree on a contract for the 2006-07 season. Carter signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes late in the season and retired from hockey after playing 15 games in Switzerland in 2007-08. Since retiring, he's been a studio analyst for MSG Networks and NBC Sports.
