Gene Carr of Nanaimo, whose flowing blond hair became a signature of the Los Angeles Kings teams of the 1970s in the NHL, died Thursday at age 72.
The Kings, on X (formerly Twitter), posted: “Gene was a beloved member of the Kings and hockey community. He was a charismatic player on the ice, featuring his trademark blond hair, along with being a fast and flashy skater. We extend our deepest condolences to the Carr family at this very difficult time.”
No cause of death was given.
We are saddened to announce the passing of our former player, Gene Carr, at the age of 72.
— LA Kings (@LAKings) December 14, 2023
Gene was a beloved member of the Kings and hockey community. He was a charismatic player on the ice, featuring his trademark blonde hair along with being a fast and flashy skater. We… pic.twitter.com/bmTFZB5I5Y
A perk for Carr was being able to the return to the Island in Los Angeles colours, where the Kings annually held training camp and played exhibition games in Victoria at the old Memorial Arena. Carr came out of the Nanaimo minor hockey system to play junior with the Kelowna Buckaroos of the B.C. Hockey League and Paddy Ginnell’s feared Flin Flon Bombers of the Western Canadian Hockey League (now WHL).
A blazing-fast junior with elusive moves to match his speed, the five-foot-11 centre was selected fourth overall in the first round of the 1971 NHL draft by the St. Louis Blues behind Guy Lafleur to the Montreal Canadiens, Marcel Dionne to the Detroit Red Wings and Jocelyn Guevremont to the Vancouver Canucks. Carr and Dionne went on to become teammates with the Kings, a team on which Carr played from 1973-74 to 1977-78.
Bob Miller, the radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Kings from 1973 to 2017, tweeted on X: “Gene joined the Kings during my first year with the Kings. At that time, you were really impressed with how strong a skater he was. In those days players did not wear helmets. One of the big reasons I feel Gene became such a fan favourite was how his golden blond locks would flow as he skated up and down the ice. Beyond being very recognizable, his personality was outgoing and friendly.”
Carr played 465 regular-season NHL games with the Blues, Kings, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Atlanta Flames with 79 goals and 136 assists for 215 points and was not averse to contact, with 365 minutes in penalties. He played 35 NHL playoff games with five goals and 13 points with 66 penalty minutes.
Carr became good friends with Eagles lead singer Glenn Frey and is said to be the subject of the Eagles’ hit song New Kid in Town when Carr joined the Kings.
Carr split his later years between Los Angeles and Nanaimo, cutting a colourful swath through the Harbour City. He survived two major car crashes that affected his later career on the ice and life after hockey. In 2019, Carr met his 47-year-old daughter Tracy for the first time.
“From a family perspective, I was happy he connected with a daughter many years later, something he did not hide,” tweeted Miller.
“Rather, he embraced that newfound relationship, even bringing her to a Kings game. I believe it was a role he relished and something special later in life.”
