Cody Ceci Bio
Cody Ceci is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on December 21, 1993, in Ottawa, Ontario, he was selected 15th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. A right-handed shot standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 210 pounds, Ceci has built a long NHL career as a steady, two-way blueliner. He came up through the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and made his NHL debut in the 2013–14 season. Over more than a decade in the league, he has played for seven NHL organizations and earned international recognition with Team Canada.
Early Life and Background
Cody Ceci was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario. He is the son of Parri Ceci, a former Canadian Football League receiver and 1984 Vanier Cup Most Valuable Player. The athletic environment of his household helped shape Cody’s early interest in competitive sports, and he gravitated toward hockey at a young age. He has an older sister named Chelsea and a younger brother, Cole, who played goaltender in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals and later in the United Kingdom’s National Ice Hockey League with the Romford Raiders.
At the age of 13, Ceci left home to attend Lakefield College School, a private boarding school located just north of Peterborough, Ontario. He graduated in 2011 and was soon selected in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. After being drafted, he joined the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL to continue his junior development. While playing for the 67’s, he also attended Carleton University in Ottawa, balancing post-secondary education with a demanding junior hockey schedule.
Path to Hockey
Ceci starred for the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL, where he developed into one of the top defencemen in the league. During the 2011–12 season with the 67’s, he finished second in scoring among all OHL defencemen with 60 points, trailing only Dougie Hamilton of the Niagara IceDogs. His stock rose quickly, and Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray was so eager to draft him that he contacted multiple teams in an effort to move up the draft board to secure the young blueliner.
On August 23, 2012, Ceci signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators. Following the trade that sent him to the Owen Sound Attack in January 2013, he finished that junior season in the OHL. Once Owen Sound was eliminated from the playoffs, he was called up to the American Hockey League (AHL) and joined the Senators’ affiliate, the Binghamton Senators. Paired on defence with team captain Mark Borowiecki, he recorded his first professional point and his first professional goal in his final two games of the regular season.
Cody Ceci Career
Early Career (2013–2019)
After starting the 2013–14 season in the AHL with Binghamton, Ceci was recalled to Ottawa in December 2013 following a suspension to Senators defenceman Jared Cowen. He made his NHL debut on December 12, 2013, against the Buffalo Sabres, and scored his first NHL goal four days later in overtime against the St. Louis Blues, becoming the first teenager in NHL history to score his first goal in overtime. He became a fixture on the Ottawa blue line, playing a top-four role and logging heavy minutes in all situations. In 2016, he signed a two-year, $5.6 million contract extension, and after filing for salary arbitration in 2018, he agreed to a one-year, $4.3 million deal.
Toronto Maple Leafs Era (2019–2020)
On July 1, 2019, Ceci was traded by the Senators, along with Ben Harpur, Aaron Luchuk, and a 2020 third-round draft pick, to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Connor Brown, Michael Carcone, and Nikita Zaitsev. He signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract extension with Toronto and scored his first goal as a Maple Leaf on October 4, 2019, in a 4–1 road win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. An ankle injury in February 2020 cut into his season, and he remained on injured reserve until early March 2020.
Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers (2020–2024)
On October 17, 2020, Ceci signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent. The following summer, on July 28, 2021, he signed a four-year, $13 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers, joining a team that needed a defenceman after Adam Larsson was lost to the Seattle Kraken. In his first season in Edmonton, he recorded five goals and 23 assists during the regular season. During the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he scored the series-clinching goal in Game 7 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings, though the Oilers were later swept in the Western Conference Final by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.
San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, and Los Angeles Kings (2024–Present)
On August 18, 2024, Ceci was traded to the San Jose Sharks along with a 2025 third-round pick in exchange for defenceman Ty Emberson. On February 1, 2025, he was traded again, this time to the Dallas Stars as part of a package that also included Mikael Granlund, in exchange for a first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Because of scheduling quirks, he played 85 regular-season games combined between the Sharks and the Stars, making him the ninth player in NHL history to reach that mark. On July 1, 2025, as a free agent, he signed a four-year, $18 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although he is not known as an offensive defenceman, Ceci has been valued throughout his career for his size, mobility, and reliability in his own zone. He logs heavy minutes on the penalty kill and has been trusted by coaches in defensive matchups against top opposition forwards. His right-handed shot and ability to move the puck cleanly out of the defensive zone have allowed him to fit into top-four roles on several different teams. Coaches have routinely paired him with defensive-minded partners to balance the blue line.
Notable Events and Milestones
Ceci’s most memorable early moment came in December 2013, when he became the first teenager in NHL history to score his first NHL goal in overtime. In 2016, he made his senior international debut for Team Canada at the World Championships and won a gold medal. In 2022, he scored the Game 7 series-clinching goal for the Edmonton Oilers against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In 2025, he became the ninth player in NHL history to play at least 85 regular-season games in a single season split between two teams.
Cody Ceci Career Wins
Across more than a decade in the NHL, Cody Ceci has built a reputation as a reliable, defensive-minded defenceman. While he is not primarily known as an offensive contributor, he has tallied regular-season goals and assists in every stop of his career, including 28 points in his first full season with the Edmonton Oilers. He has also produced key goals in the postseason, including a Game 7 series-clinching tally against the Los Angeles Kings in 2022. His career has been marked less by trophy-winning exploits and more by consistent, durable play across seven NHL organizations.
Other Wins and Performances
In addition to his NHL accomplishments, Ceci has had success on the international stage. He represented Canada at the 2016 World Championships, winning a gold medal in his senior debut with the national team. Earlier, he competed for Team Ontario at the 2010 World U-17 Hockey Challenge and for Canada at the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championship. In junior hockey with the Ottawa 67’s, he finished as the second-highest scoring defenceman in the OHL in 2011–12 with 60 points.
Cody Ceci Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Ceci is the son of Parri Ceci, a former Canadian Football League receiver who was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1984 Vanier Cup. He also has an older sister, Chelsea, and a younger brother, Cole, who played goaltender in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals and later in the NIHL with the Romford Raiders. The family has deep roots in the Ottawa sports community, and Cody has spoken about how his father’s athletic background influenced his own path in hockey. Ceci is also of one-quarter Filipino descent.
Personal Life
Off the ice, Ceci is an avid dog owner and has two French Bulldogs named Zeus and Hugo. In 2024, while he was a member of the Edmonton Oilers, Hugo competed in the team’s annual “Ruff Ruff Relay” fundraiser and won first place. Beyond his love for his dogs, Ceci is known to keep a relatively private personal life and focuses on family time when not on the road with his NHL team.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked a transitional year for Cody Ceci, who was traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Dallas Stars on February 1, 2025. Despite the disruption of changing teams mid-season, he played 85 combined regular-season games, joining a short list of NHL players to appear in that many games in a single season split between two clubs. With the Stars, he slotted into a depth role on the blue line and contributed to a team that remained in playoff contention in the Western Conference.
On July 1, 2025, after the conclusion of the season, Ceci signed a four-year, $18 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings as an unrestricted free agent. The deal signaled the Kings’ confidence in his ability to play a top-four, defensive role. He is expected to pair with a defensive-minded partner and play significant minutes on the penalty kill, which has been one of his calling cards throughout his career.
Heading into the remainder of 2025 and beyond, Ceci’s outlook with the Kings is to provide steady, reliable defence while mentoring younger blueliners on the roster. With his experience of more than 600 NHL games and a senior international gold medal, he brings veteran leadership to a Los Angeles team looking to climb the Pacific Division standings. His durability and professionalism have made him a trusted addition for a Kings club with playoff aspirations.
