Saint Joe's Hockey Coach Selected to New Jersey High School Hockey Hall of Fame

Saint Joe’s head ice hockey coach Ryan Carter ‘91 received a bit of surprising news before entering his 18th year at the helm of the Falcons ice hockey team. 

The school’s fourth leading scorer with 151 points, including 75 goals, will be inducted into the New Jersey High School Hockey Hall of Fame at a ceremony in the spring. 

“This is a surprise no one ever expects to receive,” Carter said. “I had a lot of great teammates while I was a player at Saint Joe’s. Without them, I would not have been able to achieve this great honor.”

Carter’s successful playing career also led to his 2019 induction to the Saint Joseph Athletics Hall of Fame.

After graduating in 1991, Carter played hockey at Norwich University and Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada before becoming an assistant coach (2003-07) and eventually the head coach (2007 to present) at Saint Joseph High School.

“We are very excited for Coach Carter’s induction into the New Jersey High School Hockey Hall of Fame,” Saint Joe’s president John G. Nolan, Jr. said. “During his time as a player, Ryan excelled on and off the ice, and, most importantly, was well-respected by his peers. This is a well-deserved honor and another chance to celebrate Ryan’s spectacular career.” 

As head coach, Carter has won 217 games, including 14 regular season conference titles, nine Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championships and three Egan Cup championships. 

Carter is a four-time GMC Coach of the Year, having earned the honor twice from the Home News Tribune and twice from the league.

During his tenure at Saint Joe’s, two of Carter’s former players were selected in the NHL Draft, including Stanley Cup champion John Carlson. Marc Johnstone ‘17 currently plays in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. 

More than 40 percent of Saint Joseph ice hockey graduates have continued their playing careers at the collegiate level, with several players securing NCAA Division I scholarships.

“Coach Carter was an exceptional athlete at Saint Joe’s and is now an even better coach,” Director of Athletics Bill Tracy said. “His success on the ice as a student-athlete and what he does now from behind the bench serves as an inspiration to the entire athletic department.”

Carter joined the Saint Joseph High School administration in January 2023 after retiring from the New York-New Jersey Port Authority Police Department. In July 2023, Carter was named Dean of Student.

Outside of Saint Joe’s, Carter was appointed by USA Hockey as the Atlantic District Coach-in-Chief where he is tasked with overseeing all youth hockey coaches throughout USA Hockey’s Atlantic District, which includes Delaware, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania.