Sports Illustrated didn’t call Bobby Carpenter “The can’t miss kid” for nothing. Selected at third overall in 1981 by the Washington Capitals, Carpenter was the highest drafted American-born player and was the first to play in the NHL straight out of high school.
Carpenter was basically hockey’s LeBron James. He was well known and famous before he even entered the league. Carpenter was a star at St. John’s Prep School and landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated in the middle of his senior year.
Carpenter led the St. Johns Eagles to the 1979 Massachusetts State title in his sophomore year with 23 goals and 31 assists (54 points) in 23 games.