Carter was drafted by the
Quebec Nordiques in the
1992 NHL entry draft in the 10th round, 220th overall, after playing AAA level hockey in the
Metro Toronto Hockey League. After completing his AAA hockey career, Carter played one season in the Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League for the Wexford Raiders, scoring 18 goals and adding 22 assists for 40 points in 42 games, helping the Raiders to a league title as a result of sweeping the Bramalea Blues 4–0 in the championship final. (Incidentally, the Raiders' head coach was
Stan Butler, current special advisor to the owner of the
Ontario Hockey League's
North Bay Battalion). Carter went on to play four years at
Michigan State University, earning himself honours on the
CCHA First All-Star Team in 1994 and 1995, Second All-Star Team in 1996, as well as the
NCAA West Second All-American Team in 1995. On April 3, 1996, the Nordiques' successor, the
Colorado Avalanche, traded his rights to the
Washington Capitals in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the
1996 NHL entry draft. Carter made his professional debut in
1996–97, splitting his time with the Capitals and their
American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the
Portland Pirates, before being traded to the
Boston Bruins on March 1, 1997. As part of a blockbuster deal, Carter was sent with
Jason Allison,
Jim Carey, a third-round selection in the
1997 draft (63rd overall–
Lee Goren) and a conditional second-round pick in the
1998 draft to the Bruins in exchange for
Adam Oates,
Bill Ranford and
Rick Tocchet. Both Carter and Tocchet would work together as studio analysts with the
NHL on TNT nearly a quarter of a century later beginning in 2021. After spending several seasons with the Bruins, Carter was traded (along with a conditional pick in the
2003 draft, a first- and a second-round pick in the
2001 draft) to the
Edmonton Oilers in exchange for
Bill Guerin and a first-round pick in the
2001 draft. In his second season with Edmonton, Carter would record career-highs in assists (32) and points (60). However, on March 11, 2003, he was again traded, to the
New York Rangers (along with
Aleš Píša) in exchange for
Radek Dvořák and
Cory Cross. At the completion of the
2002–03 season, Carter played for
Canada in the
2003 World Championships. Over 14 minutes into the first overtime of the gold medal game against
Sweden, Carter beat Swedish goaltender
Mikael Tellqvist with a wraparound goal. The goal was contested for several minutes before replays confirmed Tellqvist had stopped the puck behind the goal line. It was Canada's first World Championship win in five years. Lasting half a season with the Rangers, Carter was traded back to the Washington Capitals on January 23, 2004, in exchange for
Jaromír Jágr. His second go with the Capitals was even more short-lived than his stint with New York, as he was flipped to the
Los Angeles Kings for
Jared Aulin just over a month later on March 8, 2004. On August 16, 2005, Carter signed a one-year contract with the
Vancouver Canucks as an unrestricted
free agent. He played in Vancouver on the second offensive line with twins
Henrik and
Daniel Sedin, where the trio were known colloquially as the "Brothers Line". He set a new career-high in goals with 33, leading the team, and earned the Canucks'
Most Exciting Player Award. However, he did not re-sign with the Canucks at the end of the season. On September 13, 2006, Carter signed a one-year contract with the
Columbus Blue Jackets, but was traded once again to the
Carolina Hurricanes on February 23, 2007, in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the
2008 NHL draft (
Tomas Kubalik). In September 2007, Carter rejoined the Edmonton Oilers on a try-out basis during their training camp, and played one exhibition game before being released on October 2, 2007. Without an NHL job, on November 5, Carter joined
HC Lugano of the Swiss
Nationalliga A. ==Post-playing career==