If Jimmy Carter played hockey: left wing, rated 76

Jimmy Carter as a hockey player: scouting report

Jimmy Carter would play left wing, the spot for a forward who does the hard, unglamorous work and does it every shift. He grew up on a farm near Plains, Georgia, ran the family peanut business, and spent decades after the White House swinging a hammer on Habitat for Humanity build sites. That is a grinder's resume, and physical play is the best thing on his card. He would win the board battles, take the hit to make the play and come out of the corner with the puck.

His defense is nearly as strong. Carter graduated from the Naval Academy and served as a submarine officer, a job that rewards discipline, attention to detail and calm in tight spaces. On the ice that means a winger who stays above the puck, covers the point and never leaves his center hanging in the defensive zone. His goaltending is solid as well, which says something about the patience of a man who loved fly fishing and could stand in a river all day waiting for the right moment.

Skating is the honest weak spot. He is not going to win a footrace on a breakaway, so his shifts should start in the offensive zone where his forechecking matters most. Defenseman and goalie are equal second options, which gives a drafter real flexibility in the middle rounds. Pair him with a fast center and a shooting right winger, send him to the net front on the power play and let a lifetime of hard work show up in the dirty areas. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, and on the ice he plays a quiet, selfless game to match.

Plays like A grinding power forward who wins every puck along the boards

Put Jimmy Carter in your lineup

8 rolls, a starting six and a bench, 82 games. Can you go 82-0? Free, no account.