Kings sign goaltender Carter George to three-year, entry-level contract (AAV: $875,000)

The LA Kings have signed goaltender Carter George to a three-year, entry-level contract, carrying an AAV of $875,000 at the NHL level.

That makes two of four draft picks from the 2024 NHL Draft who are now locked in on entry-level deals. First-round selection Liam Greentree signed on Saturday and now second-round selection Carter George inks his deal today. For George, it’s a special moment on a few levels. For any young player, signing that first NHL contract is a lifelong dream. Not to mention, that signing bonus will go a long way in Owen Sound. For George, though, he signs that contract with the Kings, the organization he grew up rooting for, making it all the sweeter. More on George below.

Instant Analysis
First things first, sharing a couple of slightly old stories.

First, I wrote about Carter George last week after he was selected to represent Team Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase event, which kicks off this weekend. More from George HERE. Not a bad long weekend, with an entry-level contract on Friday and a national event on Sunday.

Secondly, George joined the All The Kings Men Podcast during Development Camp. Lots of good stories, both on the ice and off the ice. Learn a little bit more about who George is as a goaltender and who George is as a person in a solid interview.

Regarding the signing, the nitty gritty is the same as it was when the Kings signed Greentree over the weekend.

George is also a CHL player, so his options for this and next season are either the NHL or the OHL. A a goaltender, he is certain to play in the OHL, with the Kings understanding that his timeline to ideally play in the NHL is several seasons down the road. Look for George to return to Owen Sound, where he faced the most shots in the OHL last season and impressed while doing so. A potential trip to the World Juniors could also be in the cards for George, as he was one of four goaltenders invited to represent Team Canada at the summer showcase event that begins this weekend. George was the starter for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in the summer of 2023 and the U-18 World Championships this past spring. He’s competing against a couple of older goaltenders but has international pedigree already to his name, winning gold medals as the starter in net at both events. Looking forward to seeing George in action here in showcase games and hope to see him make that tournament roster.

As far as his contract goes, the logistics are also similar to Greentree. George is eligible for an entry-level slide both this and next season and we should assume those will both factor in as he continues his development in the OHL. Expect to see this contract slide back until George’s age-20 season, when he would be both NHL and AHL eligible and his three years would kick in. As Mark Yannetti shared after the NHL Draft, the Kings envision George playing two more seasons in the OHL before hopefully stepping in as a potential AHL player in the 2026-27 season. With Erik Portillo and Hampton Slukynsky also in the pipeline, both on different timelines, the Kings have some future planning in net and a few different options internally to find that long-term solution between the pipes.

Kings Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Yannetti on Carter George
[We liked] a number of things. The first thing to watch for is he’s very technically sound, his positional element, his save execution, his depth in the net, it’s very calculated almost, he’s very cerebral in terms of he’s precise when he hits his marks. We’re talking about the big goalies, everybody wants big goalies and it’s funny, it’s more of a presentation, like you can be a big goalie and present small and you can be a 6-1, which I don’t consider small but I guess the NHL does, but he presents bigger than 6-1, just to his positioning and his angles and his depth in the net.

From the team’s official release –

Selected 57th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, George recently completed his second season with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Owen Sound Attack, where he posted a .907 save percentage (SV%), a 3.30 goals-against-average (GAA) and a league-leading four shutouts to secure a record of 23-21-6. The 6-1, 195-pound netminder turned aside more shots than any goaltender across all four major junior leagues in North America, stopping 1,744 of 1,923 attempts in his direction. George finished third in the OHL in both games played (56) and SV% (.907) and was one of eight goaltenders to maintain a .900 SV% or better throughout the campaign.

Following the 2023-24 campaign, George was selected to both the OHL First All-Rookie Team and OHL Third All-Star Team and was awarded the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL Scholastic Player of the Year. The 18-year-old netminder also received the Ivan Tennant Award as the OHL’s Top Academic High School Player. Through 66 regular season games played for Owen Sound, George has accumulated a 30-24-6 record, posting four shutouts, a .909 SV% and a 3.17 GAA.

A native of Thunder Bay, ON, George represented Canada at the 2024 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Under-18 World Junior Championship. After posting a 2.33 GAA and .915 SV% to lead Canada to a 6-0-0 record and a gold medal, George was recognized as a Top Three Player on his team, chosen to the tournament All-Star Team, and named the Best Goaltender of the tournament.