The Toronto Maple Leafs say goodbye to legendary Leaf goaltender, Carter Hutton. Hutton will retire undefeated in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform.
Hutton will also retire tied for the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise record in goals against average (0) and save percentage (1.000) while also tying the record for fewest games played as a Toronto Maple Leaf (0).
Carter Hutton was acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 21st, 2021 from the Arizona Coyotes for future considerations. It was the only time Hutton had been traded in his 10 year NHL career.
Hutton’s last NHL game was on October 25th, 2021 where he suffered an ankle injury that kept him out for the remainder of the season and has apparently ended his career.
In three games with the Coyotes this season, Carter Hutton was 0-2-0 with an almost unbelievable 7.76 goals against average and .741 save percentage.
It’s unclear why Carter Hutton was acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hutton may have been acquired as an insurance goaltender in case Jack Campbell, Petr Mrazek, Joseph Woll, Erik Kallgren and Michael Hutchinson were all injured once Hutton himself returned from injury, serving as the team’s sixth string goaltender.
Hutton was in fact practicing during the playoffs just in case he needed to return, and who knows what could’ve been if the Leafs had’ve won game 6 or 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and their goaltending injuries continued to pile up. We could’ve see Carter Hutton starting in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Honestly, though. It seems like the Toronto Maple Leafs decided to do the Arizona Coyotes a favour by taking on Carter Hutton’s contract even though it was at league minimum.
Th least the Coyotes could’ve done with their “future considerations” would be to consider not claiming goaltender Harri Säteri off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs when they had to clear him before bring him over from Finland. Seems like a double-cross.
Toronto Maple Leafs Carter Hutton Retires
Carter Hutton was a pending unrestricted free agent when he announced his retirement to the Chronicle Journal on Tuesday, June 14th.
He was undrafted, but played 234 career NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabrres and Arizona Coyotes.
His best season was with the St. Louis Blues in 2017-18 where he had a 17-7-3 record with a 2.09 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. His career record was 94-90-27 with a 2.76 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.
His career totals weren’t bad, but Toronto Maple Leafs fans will remember him as that injured goalie who never played if they remember him at all. Farewell, Carter Hutton.