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The Official Harry Carpet Retirement Story
#1

I knew sooner or later I was going to have to write a retirement post, because I’ve seen others do it. Maybe not quite have to, but I felt like I should do so after following my player for this long. However, the longer my player’s career went on the more I’ve been just pushing the whole concept of retirement away from me. In the end it feels like it was a good idea to postpone retirement, because somehow good old Carpet had more success in his later years than in the earlier years. Regression played just one role, but I also had to find a good time that would work into the whole role-playing timeline and I’ve finally found one. More about that later. So, anyway here it is, the retirement post. It’s going to be a long one.

Let’s start with some numbers, because I know people like a good career summary. Some kind of TL;DR if the novel down there is too much for you. You can also check my sig drop down for more career stats.

Harry Carpet will have played 24 seasons when it is all over after season 69. That will be roughly 4 (FOUR!) real life years.
Three seasons with the Lethbridge Lions in the SMJHL (now known as the Newfoundland Berserkers) and 21 with the Toronto North Stars in the SHL.

Goalie records held at time of this post (after S68, regular season):
  • First goalie to break 2,000 TPE in the league.
  • Most games played (970)
  • Most wins (470)
  • Most shutouts (73)
Awards and Trophies:
  • A total of 7 career John McBride Trophy nominations (3 wins), more than any other goalie in league history.
  • 3x First All-Star Team
  • 2x Second All-Star Team
  • 1x Third All-Star Team
  • All-Rookie Team
  • 3x IIHF gold medals
  • 2x IIHF bronze medals
  • 3x Damian Littleton Trophy Nominations (1 win)
  • Several different team awards and All-Star games in between those.


Let’s look back on Harry Carpet’s career now. Several people from around the league that have played with or against Harry Carpet or otherwise played a significant role have been asked to say some words, too. If you wish to add your own, please leave a reply below.

[Image: carpet-v1.png]
Sometimes all you need is a chance.
~~~

Harry Carpet was born in Turku, Finland and made his way to North America at age 17 not really knowing a whole lot about the league. Or the people. He only wanted them to give him a chance.

After playing an entertaining prospect showcase tournament for the ‘Vipers’ together with big names like Eko van Otter, Corey Kennedy and Slap McShotty, Harry Carpet was drafted into the SMJHL in the 5th round by a team called the Lethbridge Lions. He was the third and last goalie taken in that S46 draft, 41st overall. Essentially he really was a nobody going into the draft, yet among the trio of goalies he was the only one who lasted longer than a handful of seasons and went on to have a real career in the SHL. Who doesn’t love the irony?

First Lethbridge Lions GM Burd found the time to share some words:
Quote:
“When I first drafted Harry Carpet little did I know the legend that he would become. It all started in my second season as GM, I was way in over my head with the changing times but Justice and I made the selection at 41st overall. Carpet right away was the most vocal and active person in the locker room making his presence felt in a more than positive note. Sadly I couldn’t live up to expectations of a GM at the time and made his SMJHL time lackluster to what it should have been. I can never apologize enough for that. Carpet through it all stuck around and showed his true loyalty to the franchise of the Lions/Zerks, but also to his SHL club, the North Stars. Carpet the goalie is definitely a Hall of Famer, there is no doubt in my mind. The accolades and achievements are there, but as someone who got to know Carpy throughout the years, beyond the goalie mask, they are an absolute thrill to have around. Any franchise would have been lucky to have someone like that, and without Carp being in the Zerk LR, it just wouldn’t be the same. Our love of coffee is unmatched and I respect that.
So here’s to the future Hall of Famer and to an absolutely amazing human! Congratulations on a fantastic career.
Much love!”

A year later Toronto used the first pick they had in the season 47 draft, a second round pick, to draft Harry into the SHL 28th overall. The North Stars management had expressed interest before the draft and both parties knew what they were getting. It was a perfect fit. However, at that time the Toronto team was full of inactives except for the already aging Mikhail Lokitonov. How perfect the fit would really be in the end, nobody could tell at that time. Not even Nobody Wink.

Living in someone else’s shadow.
~~~

The SMJHL draft class of season 45 was not only big, it was also famous for having lots of goalies. Many of them filled the starting positions for their respective teams and went on to have long SHL careers like Peter Larson or Tibuk Soonika and it wasn’t any different for the new expansion team of the Lethbridge Lions that had joined the SMJHL together with the Anaheim Outlaws that season. Harry Carpet got to spend the next two seasons as a backup goalie to the great Patrice Nadeau, the star goalie in the SMJHL who won the Tom Corcoran (now: Cedric Robinson) Trophy in seasons 46 and 47. Given that one’s time in the J is short in general, being a backup goalie is not the best position to shine or even stand out much. We also still lived in the 350 TPE cap-era back then. Nevertheless, Harry did his best in Lethbridge, a town he hadn’t even heard of before the draft.

Patrice Nadeau (Fluw) was there from the very beginning:
Quote:“The season I started the league, back in season 45, I was drafted to the Lethbridge Lions as their starting goaltender, and the following season Carpy was drafted to be my backup. At the time, Lethbridge was a ghost town to say the least, however, there were a few of us keeping it alive. Carpy is an amazing person as all of you know, and it is really warming to see his career be arguably the GOATed goalie career in the SHL. From being my backup watching me win multiple J awards, to leaving behind a legacy in the SHL, one that will be difficult to match, breaking historic records as a netminder. If it had to be anyone to do these things, I am happy it is Carpy, one of the OG Lions from back in the day. Love you Carpy, and have a happy retirement.”

Toronto was already knocking on the young goalie’s door after season 47, in desperate need to replace Michael McFadden’s old corpse in net, but they had to wait for another season since Harry wanted to experience at least one season as a starter of a team before making the jump into the big leagues. Having a starter’s job waiting for him with no other goalies in the pipeline was a rare thing, but Toronto’s management agreed to wait for another season. They called him up several times during the season so Harry played his first handful of games in a Toronto jersey even before officially joining the North Stars full-time.

[Image: carpetfirstwin.png]
Harry Carpet’s first game and first win in a Toronto jersey, S47.

The Skeleton Crew
~~~

Season 48 saw a management change in Lethbridge after some internal management ‘issues’ and most of the old Lions core got traded away for a rebuild. Harry’s hopes for a last chance to win a Four Star Cup in his third season in the SMJHL - and first season as a starter - crumbled. The remaining players started to call their team the Skeleton Crew, because not much was left after the new management was done with trades. Mostly inactives and a number of rookies, among them Delver Fudgeson, the team’s new captain and someone Harry would meet more than once in his career. However, in his first playoff appearance for the Lions, Carpet managed to break the young franchise’s record of playoff wins (6) just before being eliminated by their expansion rival Anaheim in the second round, the same team that swept them the year before and went on to win the cup. Just like that Harry’s time in Lethbridge was over. He signed a 2-year contract with Toronto and it was time to move east.

Then-GM jnh remembers how it was to take over the team:
Quote:“When I joined Lethbridge, I was an outsider to the organization and it was a pretty quiet locker room which can make it especially difficult to institute a locker room culture. Harry Carpet was a stabilizing force both on and off the ice - welcoming me to the organization and playing their heart out. Together with Luffy and Fudgeson they were the lifeblood of Lethbridge and would prove instrumental in the turnaround that would come in future seasons for the Lions. Congratulations on a fabulous career <3.”

Even after leaving the Lions, Harry stayed highly active in the Lethbridge alumni community and helped out as team advisor and scout in his free time.

The Young Star(ter)
~~~

While not being completely unfamiliar with the team, due to the aforementioned games he played there in the previous two seasons, it was quite a change of scenery to step in as a rookie goalie and at the same time being the team’s starter all of a sudden. Being the only rookie on a team full of undead corpses aging veterans was a little intimidating at first, but with the help of Mikhail Lokitonov who was the team’s star player at the time, and high hopes from the management, Harry played 44 games that season and got selected for the All-Rookie team as well, despite leading the league in losses and Toronto’s group of motley geriatrics not making the playoffs. At that time Harry had no idea yet what kind of major role he was going to play in the team’s future. He only knew that he and his coffee maker had found a new home.

The Rollercoaster Years (STHS-era)
~~~

In season 50 a promising rookie named Mika Kandinsky, drafted in season 48, joined the team and he and Harry quickly became friends. An easy choice, being the two only young players on a team of rotting zombies. The management even named both of them co-captains since the team was clearly lacking some (living and breathing) leadership besides old Lokitonov.
It was the beginning of a new era for Toronto. Mika won the Ryan Jesster Trophy and even broke the rookie scoring record that season finishing a mere 5 points behind Lokitonov who won multiple awards including the Ron Mexico Trophy. Somehow the North Stars made the playoffs that year and even won against the Manhattan Rage in the first round. Harry and Mika were excited, despite losing in the next round, but they had no idea that this playoff success went completely against the management’s plan to tank since they were in the middle of a full rebuild and needed good draft picks.
The next two seasons saw ups and downs, missing the playoffs one year only to barely make it in again and getting swept by their rival Buffalo the next year. At the same time the Toronto management was busy drafting prospects season after season to work on their rebuild. Everything worked according to plan.
Harry signed a major six-year $36 million extension with the team and knew it was only a matter of time until they would break through. Whenever that happened, he would be there; he was patient. But how much patience does one need in this league? A lot, apparently.

Some words from Delver Fudgeson (Massive Coiler) who was a teammate in both Lethbridge and Toronto:
Quote:“The two stretches of my career that I look back on as my favorite both came with Harry Carpet as my goalie. While I always appreciated having him, I still don't think I'll ever truly be able to understand the impact he had on my career as a defenceman. Night in and night out, as much as you say it, you don't always want to run through a wall for your coach. But every single night you want to do everything you can for your goalie. In my personal, biased opinion, the greatest career in the history of the league belongs to Carpet. And the greatest honor of my career was being a teammate of my favorite player. I hope he enjoys retirement, and I'll be there when his jersey goes up to the rafters in Toronto.”

The Great Lakes - Part 1 - Starting from the bottom
~~~

Going into season 53, Harry’s fifth season with Toronto, major things were changing. Only a small number of undead bodies were still on the team; most of them had been replaced by fresh rookies the team’s management had drafted over the years. Bobby Lane was one of those top prospects and the team was growing together. The North Stars suddenly had a pulse again, believe it or not. They knew they had a bright future ahead and full of youthful motivation they ran full speed into a concrete wall called “The Great Lakes”. Something they weren’t quite prepared for and thus they finished that season at the very bottom of the standings, struggling badly. Carpet played 46 games and saw several hundred more shots than any other starter in the league. In plain words: their season was a disaster. Needless to say the team wasn’t happy with their performance and they went into the next season even more hungry.

Ruslan Zaporozhets (CptSquall) who shared the ice with Harry in Toronto for many, many years remembers:
Quote:“Where to start with Harry Carpet? He was really just breaking into the league a few years before I came over. I didn't really know a whole lot about him until I was drafted before season 51. He was getting absolutely shelled, pretty much from the start of his career and stood tall. He was a calm rock in goal my first year (S54), which was something that helped settle me.”

Despite many losses, and climbing up in the standings from last to second last this time (which wasn’t difficult since this was the infamous zero wins season for Tampa), Harry finished the season with a 0.922% SV and earned his first John McBride nomination.

Elizabeth Doyle (Evok), starting goalie for the Buffalo Stampede and probably Harry’s biggest goalie rival at that time:
Quote:“It was always fun to play against Harry during my career. He had started a few seasons before me with Toronto, a team that had always been in the same division as Buffalo, my own team. We had our fair share of duels during my fourteen season career. His athleticism definitively gave me the tip that he would go for a long run. I kept count of the wins I had against him, as I knew he would be the one I'd need to catch up to if I wanted to break any record. Unfortunately, things lead to my retirement way earlier than I anticipated. I am quite happy to see where Harry is today, breaking a long time win record and being the sole owner of that title now. He pushed through adversity in Toronto, with many rebuilding seasons, to finally be at the top at the end of his career with a few trophies and many nominations. He will inspire many young goalies in the future.”

The next few seasons the league saw more of the famous Great Lakes wall, since all three other teams in Toronto’s division (Buffalo, Chicago, and Hamilton) regularly finished at the top of the league keeping Toronto at the bottom.

Theo Morgan (Otrebor13) who was both Harry’s friend and rival at the same time, playing for the Hamilton Steelhawks for many seasons:
Quote:“Carpy and I met early in my career, as we were both part of the S47 draft class. He was probably one of the best prospects to come out of that draft class, but got placed in a somewhat unfortunate situation. Being drafted into the Great Lakes division was never going to be easy, and the division was a constant bloodbath of great teams. Prior to the relocation, having Hamilton, Buffalo, Chicago and Toronto in the same division meant every single game played mattered. A few bad games strung together was the difference between making the playoffs or not. The reason I say unfortunate is because Carpy got placed in a situation with Toronto where the team was somewhat in limbo. Not a true contender, but also not a bottom feeder, and he was the franchise goalie having to carry that team to victory, which wasn’t easy with the competition in that division.
When I signed in Hamilton, I had the pleasure (or displeasure if you account for all the points he stopped me from getting) of playing against Carpy very often. One of the best goalies over the past 20 seasons, and probably one of the most deserving people to win a cup who hasn’t won it yet. His contribution to the league is known, but what he has done for that Toronto franchise is unmatched. He has constantly dragged that team out of dark seasons playing fantastic hockey. I’m sure there were plenty of times where he cursed me or my teammates for crushing any playoff hopes, but I knew that he would get his moment.
Carpy is a tremendous member of the SHL, and probably the toughest goalie I have ever played against. You’ve had a fantastic career my friend, I am rooting for you to hoist that trophy. It’s long overdue.“

As a side note: Roughly around the same time Harry had gotten involved with the management in Lethbridge as part of his advisory position and helped the team rebrand as the Berserkers and eventually move the franchise to Newfoundland. Later that brought him a Four Star Cup being part of the coaching/advisory team for the Newfoundland Berserkers.

The Great Lakes - Part 2 - Climbing to the top
~~~

During the first handful of FHM seasons the North Stars blamed their disappointing performance on the fact that they were still a young team and players needed development and more experience. In season 58 this was about to change. Harry Carpet, now in his 10th season with the team and in what people would call his ‘prime’, and the North Stars finished third in the standings with 98 points and started a playoff run. They knew (and hoped) this was their year and together with young backup Scoochie Stratton they had arguably the best goalie duo in the SHL. The team was the absolute opposite of a bunch of old zombies from ten seasons before. At this point the roster included big names, many who went on to become star players in the league, like Adam Barron, Rhys Pritchard, Danny Marston, Ryu Jones, Ryosuke Sato, Ruslan Zaporozhets, First-Name Last-Name, rookie Liam Slate and of course Ursin Zimmermann, Taylor Johansson, Luffy Richard, Axel Meszaros and even former Lions-teammate Delver Fudgeson. Not to forget North Stars legend Juni Panda. Of course Bobby Lane and Mika Kandinsky were still on the team, too. Toronto defeated San Francisco in the first and Manhattan in the second round, only to take Great Lakes rival Buffalo to game 7 in round 3. They were never closer to making the finals since season 35 and yet… it wasn’t meant to happen.
Harry earned his second McBride nomination that season. A small consolation.

Scoochie Stratton (honkerrs) explains what it was like to be Carpet’s backup:
Quote:“I definitely am honored to be asked to say a few words about Harry today as I believe the only player to get a starter role after being his backup for a time. Most people ask me ‘Wow, why did you want to go to Toronto with someone like Carpet already going to be there for a long time?’. Well, it was because I got to get his mentorship and learn how to play the game the right way. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to keep this going for 20+ seasons so I’m not sure I learned that secret sadly, but what I did learn was how to be committed to your team and teammates. Day one on the job after getting called up I wasn’t playing that well in practice, definitely nervous. Harry just starts talking some friendly jesting and crap towards me about how he thought he was going to have to try to keep his starter role this season. Once I heard that from someone who isn’t known to be a big talker I knew I had to start relaxing and play up to my potential. I ended up having some of the best metrics in my SHL career backing up Carpet because of that friendly competitive nature we had together. It is now what I’ve brought with BASE PACK the past few seasons as well. Enjoy retirement CARPNATOR (I know you love the name).”

Gunnar Söderberg (sköldpaddor) talks about how much that crazy season 58 playoff run changed everything:
Quote:“I think when people think of Harry Carpet, they’re obviously going to think of one of the greatest goalies to ever play the game. To have played for as long as he has is impressive in itself, but to have been good for as long as he has takes it to another level entirely. But I think they’ll have plenty to say about that when they put him in the Hall, so I want to talk about Harry Carpet the person for a minute.
There were a lot of people in our draft class, and I didn’t get to talk to all of them immediately. Carpy’s one of the ones I didn’t get a chance to really get to know until we were both out of juniors and well into our SHL careers. By that point, we were supposed to be rivals - Chicago and Toronto, in the heyday of the Great Lakes Division from Hell. And I guess it was sort of a rivalry, but somewhere in the middle of it, Carpy and I started talking a little more (mostly on Twitter, may it rest in peace), and at some point, our casual 'same draft class' acquaintance became one of the most rewarding friendships I’ve been lucky enough to have in my life.
I know I’ve told this story before, but there was one year, S58 if I’m not mistaken, where Chicago missed the playoffs and I was dealing with a lot and I didn’t want to be alone with the quiet space in my head that always resurfaces when hockey’s done for the season. So I spontaneously decided I was going to invite myself onto the Toronto North Stars bandwagon. Carpy welcomed me onto that bandwagon with open arms, let me stay at his place in Toronto, and even though it didn’t turn out the way any of us were hoping, I will never forget that whole postseason.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed much more of an appreciation for the friends you know you can count on, the ones who step up during the hard times and have your back, and that’s the kind of friend Carpy has been to me. It’s pretty weird to think of a league where Carpy isn’t between the pipes in Toronto, but if there’s one person who’s ever truly earned the rest, it’s undoubtedly him, and I couldn’t be happier to congratulate him on the hell of a career he’s had and wish him nothing but the best in whatever comes next.
Congratulations - now let’s go get coffee.”


The Great Lakes - Part 3 - #drainthelakes
~~~

In season 59 Harry Carpet and the North Stars wanted more. They wanted to make the finals this time. Besides Stratton, who had left the team, they were essentially the same roster as the season before. They again had a strong season, finishing 5th in the standings and… wait, what? The North Stars with 93 points wouldn’t make the playoffs while a team with 48 points would get in? In what world…? Of course, 3 of the top 5 teams in the league were from the Great Lakes division and the 4th best team (Toronto) would not make the playoffs. Those were the league rules at that time. At this point Toronto’s frustration with the division became real. The Great Lakes had to be drained.
Ironically, Harry won his first McBride Trophy that season despite missing the playoffs, but that didn’t help much either. The North Stars were simply disappointed and powerless, because those were the league rules. Despite all that Harry didn’t give up. As long as they stuck together long enough as a team, they would eventually get their chance, right? Their motto going forward was #drainthelakes.

Longtime teammate Ryosuke Sato (Dextaria) about their time together on the North Stars:
Quote:“Harry Carpet has been the epitome of what it is to be a Toronto North Star. From when I was drafted to the organization to now, Harry Carpet has been the definition of a North Star on and off the ice. Carpy has been through it all, the initially quiet locker room that I always heard about when I joined the team, to good times in the locker room such as the S58 Playoffs, to the almost complete retool that has led us here and now. Through it all, Carpy has been a cornerstone in the locker room and in the SHL, winning multiple awards and cementing themselves as the best goalie to have ever played in the SHL. It is with bittersweet emotions to see Harry Carpet retire because I have never known a Toronto North Star team without him in net. It has been an absolute honor to be sharing a locker room with Carpy and to have my player be on the ice with such a legend. In particular, I will always look back to the times where we would just be in the locker room chatting it up after a long day. Congratulations on an absolutely outstanding career and thank you so much for showing us all what it means to be a part of the Star Gang. I hope you enjoy retirement, knowing that you will always be a North Star! (it's just a matter of when we'll retire your number into the rafters :D) #drainthelakes #stargang”

Over the next few seasons things changed for the better. Divisions were realigned slightly, Chicago was moved west and the North Stars made the playoffs again, but their curse that was called the ‘Great Lakes’ simply did not want to go away. The team’s management changed within a short time (twice!), some players had enough of Toronto’s series of misfortunes and went on to hunt the cup with other teams. Harry stayed, signed extensions with the team and knew his work in Toronto wasn’t done yet. And he didn’t like to leave things unfinished. Around this time it was clear that he had become something like the heart and soul of the team, something he did not know he would become when he was starting out ten years earlier.
Carpet earned several more McBride nominations and won two more, but those weren’t what he was after. All he wanted now was to win a cup with the team and that motivation kept him going. And going.


Richard Physt (CptSquall) who helped coaching during management transitions:
Quote:“I didn't spend a long time in the management structure there in Toronto, so I didn't have a long time to get to know Harry. Seasons 60 and 61 were when I was helping GM and, to a degree, was behind the bench. Carpy was always calm and had the whole team's support. You never had to worry about him, whether he was starting or not. Blessed to have a fantastic goaltender that the team can trust to lock it down in net.”


The Later Years & A New Hope
~~~

New management had arrived in season 62 and the team was trending upwards again. The North Stars that season weren’t what they once were, but they weren’t necessarily bad either and definitely they didn’t want to go through yet another rebuild. So they worked with what they had, reshaped their identity and worked their way up while other teams in the former Great Lakes division slowly, very slowly, dropped down in the standings. Some former teammates like Ruslan Zaporozhets and Ryosuke Sato - who had both briefly left - even returned to Toronto and by season 67 the North Stars had turned into a goal-scoring machine with Videl Valor winning the league’s scoring title, others not far behind. They finished second in the regular season and Harry earned himself yet another McBride nomination, his 7th already. Unfortunately, their luck in the playoffs simply wasn’t there. And regression was relentless.

Season 68 saw some changes. Harry felt age creeping up on him and management decided to give young Toms Zīle, now in his second season with the North Stars, more starts and so they ran with a 1A/1B goalie system that season. It worked quite well. The North Stars again were one of the top teams in the league, even - or still - a cup favorite for some. Certainly still an offensive powerhouse.
Around halfway through the season, in an ironic game against their old Great Lakes rival Hamilton, Harry broke the all-time goalie wins record in the SHL. They won that game 15-4 and the whole league celebrated.
That day though Harry knew there wasn’t a whole lot more to prove. He was holding the most games played, most wins and most shutouts records and his career was longer than most already. He knew the time was coming then.

The North Stars went into the playoffs as a strong cup contender, but since the playoffs are always unpredictable, they failed yet again in the second round against old division rival Buffalo.
[Image: topview_carpet.png]

Harry Carpet:
“I have always loved playing for Toronto. Those who know me know why. It’s my team. I grew so attached to the city and the team that I had earned myself a career-long NTC in my contracts. I simply could not see myself playing for any other franchise. In total I’ve spent more time in this city than anywhere else including my home town and by now I’ve basically lived my entire adult life here. And I want to bring the cup back here. I’ll give it one more shot.”

Intermission - International Games
~~~

Like many players, Harry Carpet did not only play hockey in the SHL, but also on the highest international level. Starting out he was lucky since there weren’t many other Finnish goalies around in his age group so he had a starter position for the team guaranteed both on the WJC and the IIHF level for a long time. Very similar to Toronto, and we’re not only talking about the jersey colors. Another similarity was the success level - which simply wasn’t there. The Finnish team was at the bottom of the standings for most of the time and never played for a medal until the S60s. That meant no playoffs in Toronto and no medal round in IIHF for over a decade. A nice long off-season instead.

Zoltan Topalo (Rangerjase), now-retired former captain for team Finland:
Quote:“Ever since Zoltan joined Team Finland, Harry Carpet has been the backbone of the team, both on and off the ice. Always a welcoming smile and a friendly chirp after making a difficult save look easy in practice. If you ask anyone else on the team what the difference maker was to earn our medals, I bet you my medals they'll all just look over at Harry with a grin.”

The early 60s turned everything around for the ‘Leijonat’. Other goalies were probably considering retirement sooner or later, but not Carpet. He won his first international medal in season 61, a bronze medal and then three gold medals between 62 and 66 and the team added yet another bronze medal in season 67. Team Winland was suddenly the top team and a medal favorite every year. Harry definitely knew it was worth postponing retirement a little bit just for this and he even won the best goalie of the tournament title a couple of times.

Mat Smith (Matteo), the other half of Finland’s successful goalie tandem:
Quote:“Growing up as a Finnish goalie, I always admired Harry Carpet, and after my 14th season in the SHL I somehow admire him even more. To have a career spanning three eras, 23 seasons, and nearly 1,000 games played is something that’s incredibly special that we may never see again for a starting goalie in the league. I’ve been so lucky to have been able to play alongside him in the IIHF tournaments, to learn from his poise and his work ethic, and to win three gold medals together. That’s not to say we haven’t had many battles together, Chicago and Toronto were bitter rivals from the old Great Lakes division, but at the end of the day all of that is replaced by the respect I have for him as a player and a person. To Carpy I will say enjoy retirement, you have earned it a thousand times over.”

[Image: carpet-iihf.jpg]

Jean-Uhtred Söderberg-Tremblay (lespoils), who has spent many years on the same IIHF roster with Harry and was part of every medal team:
Quote:“Carpet was already a long-standing name in front of our nation's net when I made the cut for the first time, and in all these years never once did I need to look back behind me because I knew I could always count on that net being guarded with all the poise and determination in the world. Even when Carpy got older and let Matty take the lead in net, every game was like the last and yet we could be at peace knowing who was between the pipes. Be it as the starter or backup, Carpy played a huge role in every medal we earned over the past several years, both on and off the ice. GO WINLAND!”



Welcome to the end…
~~~

Harry Carpet: 
“I’ve met many, many different and unique people during my career as a pro hockey player. I’ve seen players start and end their careers while I was still actively playing. Many of my friends have retired. Yet I can’t say that I’ve ever planned my retirement. I’ve never even thought about it, not really. Some players I’ve talked to just knew when the time was right to hang up their skates. For some it came earlier, for others later. And then there are players that started their careers even before me and they’re still going and I have a lot of respect for them. People have asked me… probably years ago how long I still planned to play. I’ve read articles in the media that predicted I would be gone from the league ‘in the near future’ because I was ‘getting old’ several seasons ago already. Back then I thought it was ridiculous. What were they talking about? Why should I retire if I’m still in good shape? During the last few years however, it’s become more and more difficult to keep going. Not so much physically, but mentally I think. I haven’t told anyone before, but to me it always seemed like retiring while you were still chasing the cup felt like giving up and I’m definitely not someone who gives up. I set my goal, my ultimate goal, the first time I stepped onto the ice in Toronto over 20 years ago and I’ve never once believed that it wasn’t possible. No matter how bad things looked for us.“

“I was fortunate enough to win some awards during my career -  individual trophies in the SHL, then some gold medals on the international level, I broke league goalie records and yet the thing that kept me going the most was the ultimate goal - the Challenge Cup. We all know that all of this has to end at some point, you can’t keep going forever. There are many players in the Hall of Fame that never won a cup. Because it’s not something everyone can get, no matter how hard you try.”

“Then there is this other thing that’s not being talked about much. You always live two lives. One on the outside as a pro hockey player - that’s your job - and just one on the inside as a regular person. People out there only see the public side of my life, never the private side. I’ve kept that one hidden very well. Only some close friends know the private person. This season I simply knew it was time to go soon. It’s time to say it: Next season will be my last as an active player in this league. One more year in the North Stars jersey… and then….”

“...then it’s time for Shaggy to shine.”


…wait what? Who is Shaggy?
Shaggy, whose real name is Rhett, is Harry Carpet’s 17-year-old son.
A well-kept secret, so well-kept that nobody knew about his existence. You’ll learn more about Rhett - or ‘Shaggy’ as most people call him - soon. He’s been living in my head for almost a year now. #redcarpet


To end this much too long story, I would like to use this time to thank everyone who has been part of my time in the SHL until now. I have only had one player and that player has only played for two teams (Lethbridge a.k.a. Newfoundland and Toronto). Hence I have not been part of many different locker rooms, but there still have been too many people to thank everyone individually. A special thanks goes to everyone who helped me write this post by providing some in-character quotes and of course to sulovilen for the amazing retirement art above. When I first signed up and created a player I never planned to stick around for this long and get this involved. It’s all because of the people in this league.
Now it’s time to watch Harry Carpet play his last season and start over.

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[Image: carpy48.gif]
sigs either by @Wasty, @Nokazoa, @sulovilen, @Capt_Blitzkrieg, @sköldpaddor, @Ragnar, @enigmatic, @Lime or myself

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#2

Congrats!!!

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Czechoslovakia PROFILE || UPDATE || RAGE. Rage 
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#3

Winland Legend Finland

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#4

Amazing career Stars

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#5

Much respect!

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RIP Dangel. See you on the other side, brother
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#6

Truly da GOAT

I member when i had the record for most noms, i don't know how many others has overtaken me by now but i have no problem being overtaken by da GOAT

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#7

I didn't get to spend too many games with you on the ice but I've enjoyed learning from you in the locker room. Congratulations on an incredible career and hopefully we can get you that elusive cup in your final season.

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#8

_/_/_/ hell of a career

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#9

Out of all of the players and people that I've ever gotten to share a locker room with in this league, I feel most honored that you're one of them, Carpy. You've got to be one of the top people, if not the best overall, in the league. You're the greatest goalie the SHL has ever seen. You lead Toronto through the dark times as you acknowledged, but you also lead Toronto through the light ones. I don't know if you're aware of how heavily you're a part of so many of my best memories in this league, the ones that have kept me coming back. Thank you for being you.

Congratulations on finding your finish line. Pre-emptive congratulations on making the rafters. If I have one hope for the Hall of Fame, it's that they get their shit together and put you in first ballot.

And finally, words cannot begin to describe my relief that you're going to stick around. I know you had long been on the one-and-done train. I'm excited to see Shaggy, and I hope I get to play with him someday too.

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Thanks @enigmatic, @Carpy48, @Bayley, @Ragnar, @sulovilen, & @dasboot for the signatures!



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#10

Legendary career to say the least. As a goalie, your player will always be someone I look up to. Again, insane career. Absolutely an HoF player. Congrats Carpy, absolutely well deserved career and retirement.

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#11

Thanks for everything Carp. Toronto legend Stars

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#12

Incredible career, congrats!!

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#13

can I be shaggy’s godparent

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#14

Imagine being mentioned or quoted here... Couldn't be me.

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#15

Harry Carpet is dead

Long live Shaggy Carpet

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