Jim Carey (ice hockey) facts for kids

James Michael Carey (born May 31, 1974) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, and St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey League (NHL). Jim is well-known for winning the Vezina Trophy in 1996. This award goes to the NHL's best goaltender.

Playing Career

Jim Carey started his college hockey journey with the Wisconsin Badgers in 1992. He was a top pick in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, chosen 32nd overall by the Washington Capitals. Before joining the Capitals, Carey played in the IIHF World U20 Championship in 1993. He also played in the AHL with the Portland Pirates.

While playing for the Portland Pirates, Jim won several awards. He received the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the best rookie in the AHL. He also won the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award for being the top goalie in the AHL. He was even chosen for the First All-Star Team.

In the 1994–95 season, Carey made his NHL debut with the Washington Capitals. He had an amazing start, staying undefeated in his first seven games. He finished that season with 18 wins, 6 losses, and 3 ties. Jim was also picked for the NHL All-Rookie team.

This early success made him the Capitals' main goalie for the next season. This was his best year in the NHL. He played in 71 games, winning 35 of them. He also recorded nine shutouts, meaning he didn't let the other team score any goals in those games. His GAA (a measure of how many goals he let in per game) was 2.26. For his excellent play, Carey won the Vezina Trophy and was selected to the NHL first All-Star team.

The next fall, Carey joined Team USA as a backup goalie for the World Cup of Hockey. The United States team won the championship. They beat Team Canada in three games.

During the 1996–97 NHL season, Carey was traded to the Boston Bruins. This was a big trade involving several players. After this trade, Carey didn't play as well as he had before. He was sent to the minor leagues a year later to play with the Providence Bruins in the AHL. He later signed with the St. Louis Blues as a free agent. He played four games for them before retiring at the end of the 1998–99 NHL season.

Nicknames

Because his name sounds like the actor Jim Carrey, Jim Carey the hockey player got some fun nicknames. People called him "The Mask," "Ace," and "Net Detective." These names were inspired by the actor's movies from 1994, The Mask and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

Post-NHL Career

After retiring from hockey, Jim Carey became the President and CEO of OptiMED Billing Solutions, Inc. This is a company that handles medical billing. It has offices in Boston and Sarasota, Florida.

Awards and Honors

Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing the  United States
World Cup
Gold	1996 World Cup of Hockey

Jim Carey received many awards and honors during his hockey career:

• Named WCHA Rookie of the Year in 1993.
• Selected to the AHL First All-Star Team in 1995.
• Won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award in 1995 (best AHL rookie).
• Won the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award in 1995 (best AHL goalie).
• Selected to the NHL All-Rookie team in 1995.
• Selected to the NHL first All-Star team in 1996.
• Won the Vezina Trophy in 1996 (best NHL goalie).
• Inducted into the Portland Pirates Hall of Fame in 2008.

Washington Capitals Records

Jim Carey holds some impressive records for the Washington Capitals:

• He has the lowest career GAA (2.37) for a Capitals goalie.
• He had the lowest GAA in a single season (2.13 in 1995) for the Capitals at the time. This record was later broken by Braden Holtby.
• He is tied for the most penalty minutes by a goalie in a playoff season (4 in 1995).
• He is tied for the most shutouts in a single season (9 in 1996) for the Capitals.