Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings’ Prospect Carter Mazur Leads the Nation in Goals

Published

1 year ago

November 18, 2022

Nate Brown

Carter Mazur currently leads the NCAA in goals with 12. He’s scoring an average of 1.25 points a game for the defending national champion Denver Pioneers. The Detroit Red Wings’ third round pick is even generating early buzz for the Hobey Baker Award.

Yet according to Denver head coach David Carle, Mazur remembers his roots.

“Carter will never forget where he comes from in life,” Carle said. “He doesn’t put his name on his stick. Most players put their last name on it. But he puts Jackson, where he’s from in Michigan.”

Carle believes it’s that type of humility keeping him grounded as his hockey career soars to new heights.

Carter Mazur is One of Detroit’s Best Prospects

Carle will admit it that it’s fair to say Mazur has exceeded some expectations. Yet he’s exactly the type of player Denver thought they were getting.

“We had a lot of confidence in what he could become,” Carle said. “From what we saw he was doing in Tri-City, we thought he could be a really good hockey player. I think that’s exactly the path he’s continued to stay on and will continue to be on.”

The Red Wings selected him in the third round of the 2021 draft, fulfilling a childhood wish for Mazur, who in elementary school, wrote about how he wanted to wear the Winged Wheel as a player.

Now he’s one of the organization’s best prospects.

“This is what I’ve dreamed about,” Mazur said. “This is something I’ve always wanted to accomplish. I have enough confidence in my hockey abilities to be in this position I am.”

Dreams come true. Read this from ⁦@Carter_Mazur⁩, age 8. Now the Michigan native is the newest ⁦@DetroitRedWings⁩ @NHL Draft pick. (Photo courtesy: Mazur Family.) ⁦@NHLNetwork⁩ ⁦⁩ pic.twitter.com/PDyvtfpamT

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 24, 2021

Mazur’s Humility Starts at Home

Carle credits Mazur’s family as the driver for his attitude in hockey and life.

“It starts with the home for Carter,” Carle said. “Carter is a reflection of his parents in how he treats people, and the humility that he has. He has a great relationship with his grandfather, and his brother. You can just tell they’re a tight knit family.

“He’s not an entitled individual,” Carle added. “He’s earned everything he’s gotten through his work. That’s what makes it all the more rewarding for him in his hockey career. That started at home for him.”

The same kid who once said he wants to “play like a prick” makes sure the phrase only applies on the ice. Mazur’s game day ritual is making sure a fan, usually a younger one, is tossed a puck before every game.”

“I always have to give a puck to a kid on the ice,” Mazur said. “That’s something my dad always told me: to make a kid’s day.”

His favorite exchange? A youngster who found a creative way to snag the puck.

“The coolest one was during World Juniors with a game of rock-paper-scissors for a puck,” Mazur said. “The kid beat me, I gave him the puck, and he had the biggest smile on his face.”

Mazur Making Fans, Red Wings Smile

Mazur dazzles fans by putting the puck in the net. He delights them by tossing one over the glass.

Mazur just has a an easy approach to the game.

“The biggest one for me is just having fun with the game of hockey,” Mazur said. “It’s not always there for you, but if you treat it nice, it’ll treat you nice back.”

While Carter Mazur is still living by that philosophy, it’s likely the Red Wings having the most fun watching him take the hockey world by storm.