Life is good right now for Bobo Carpenter.

“I think it’s a nice bonus that I get to leave the rink in flip-flops and a pair of shorts every day,” he joked. “It’s so nice waking up and getting to look at palm trees.”

In all seriousness, the 25-year-old Florida Everblades forward has a level of perspective on his still-young pro career far beyond what anyone would expect from his years, perhaps something that can be attributed to coming from a hockey family. His father, Bob, enjoyed a lengthy National Hockey career, winning a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 1995 as a player and two more as an assistant coach in 2000 and 2003, while his older sister, Alex, won the Patty Kazmaier Award, women’s college hockey’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, in 2015. 

A highly touted prospect coming out of Boston University, Carpenter spent the entirety of his first two full pro seasons in the American Hockey League with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but injuries limited his playing time and production.

This year marks his first in the ECHL, and while some players might sulk, the extremely affable native of North Reading, Mass. has done anything but.

“Every day I’m playing a sport for my job, and you can’t get much better than that,” he said. “I really can’t complain about where I’m at. It’s been a blast, and I’m still learning. I’m just looking at it like it’s a fun time, I’m playing hockey, and don’t stress too much.”

After his two-year, entry-level deal with the Islanders ran out, the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals were quick to pounce, signing Carpenter to a one-year deal this off-season. He’s spent two separate stints at each level so far this season, but while he’s been able to score three goals and add six assists in his first eight games with the Everblades—often looking like the most skilled player on the ice in the “E”—it’s yet to translate to the “A,” where he’s been held off the scoresheet in all seven games of his stints up there so far.

“It’s always a great opportunity when you get called up, and you definitely want to make the most of the ice time you have and what’s given to you,” he said. “Growing up, getting my dad’s teachings and learning from my sister, it’s about all the little things you’re doing; you work hard, you battle, you shoot every puck to score. You just care about those little things, and when they all add up, that’s how you can show what you can do on the ice. But, I definitely got more comfortable [in the second call-up] learning a new system on a new team and feeling the guys and your linemates out.”

Carpenter’s potential is still undoubtedly vast, but remains somewhat unlocked at the pro level. In one of the top programs in the country and playing in arguably the best conference in the country, the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder was one of the most consistent and prolific goal scorers in Hockey East, stringing together four consecutive seasons with double-digit goals for the Terriers, including 20 in his junior year of 2017-18.

But, this stint with the Everblades marks the first time where he’s had the kind of ice time he was getting with Boston University. In short, it may be the best thing for him to finally unlock the path to follow in the footsteps of his father and reach the game’s highest level.

“It’s definitely a challenge, it’s my first time experiencing all this, but I try to look at every day where I’m heading to a rink where I can play the game I love, and I want to be a sponge and get all the information I can from my teammates,” he said.

If anything, his time with the Everblades has helped revitalize him, both bringing him back to those days at BU and serving as a reminder that the future can still be as bright as the Florida sun he’s taken to so well.

“Thinking back to college, you always earn your ice time, and every player goes through it. There’s only a select few that definitely grab that from the start, but that’s what makes this rewarding and that’s why you go to the rink every day and work your hardest,” Carpenter said. “I want to do the most I can on the ice, and I want to have fun. I don’t want to give anyone a reason to ever take it away from me.”