Sam Carrick Bio
Sam Carrick (born February 4, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays the centre position. He currently competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) and is recognized for his faceoff work, penalty killing, and leadership at every level he has played. Over the course of his career, Carrick has suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Buffalo Sabres.
A late-round draft pick who turned persistence into a long professional career, Carrick earned his first NHL contract with Toronto in 2012 and gradually worked his way into a steady NHL role through the American Hockey League (AHL). Standing 6 feet 0 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds, he shoots right and is widely respected as a dependable two-way forward and a trusted alternate captain or captain on his teams.
Early Life and Background
Sam Carrick was born on February 4, 1992, in Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. He grew up in a hockey family as the second of four brothers, and all of the Carrick siblings went on to play competitive ice hockey. His parents are John F. Carrick and Jane Carrick, and his father John played junior C hockey with the Stouffville 70s, which gave Sam an early connection to the local game.
Carrick’s brothers include Jake Carrick (born 1990), Trevor Carrick (born 1994), and Josh Carrick (born 1995). Jake, Trevor, and Josh all played major junior ice hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), with Trevor being drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2012 NHL entry draft. Carrick is also a cousin of minor league journeyman Bobby Hughes. The brothers later channeled their shared upbringing into a family business, owning and running a maple syrup company based on their grandfather’s hobby of tapping trees.
As a youth player, Carrick represented the Markham Waxers at the 2005 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He went on to play his Minor Midget season for the Toronto Red Wings of the Greater Toronto Hockey League before graduating to major junior hockey.
Path to Hockey
Carrick entered the Ontario Hockey League after being selected in the first round of the 2008 OHL Priority Selection draft by the Brampton Battalion. In his first OHL season, he was part of the Brampton team that lost the OHL final to the Windsor Spitfires four games to one, an early taste of high-level junior competition that helped shape his development.
In his second OHL season, Carrick set new personal highs in goals and points, which led to his being chosen by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round, 144th overall, of the 2010 NHL entry draft. He served as an alternate captain in his third season with Brampton during the 2010–11 OHL campaign and was then named captain of the Battalion for the 2011–12 season, finishing that year with junior career highs of 37 goals and 67 points in 68 games.
Sam Carrick Career
Early Career (2012–2014)
On April 1, 2012, Carrick signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs and began his professional career in the ECHL with the Idaho Steelheads. He scored 16 goals and 37 points in 50 games during the 2012–13 season before being reassigned to the Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, on March 1, 2013. In his first full AHL season, he registered 14 goals in 62 games and was named an alternate captain with the Marlies.
Heading into the final year of his entry-level deal, Carrick continued to develop with the Marlies despite a strong showing at the Maple Leafs’ pre-season training camp. His consistency in the AHL set the stage for his first NHL opportunity.
Toronto Maple Leafs Breakthrough (2014–2016)
Carrick received his first NHL recall early in the 2014–15 season to replace an injured Joffrey Lupul and made his NHL debut on November 1, 2014, in a 3–2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. He scored his first NHL goal on March 26, 2015, against the Florida Panthers and was named the third star of that game. Across 16 games with the Maple Leafs that season, Carrick registered one goal and two points, while also adding 9 goals and 26 points in 59 games with the Marlies, and he re-signed with Toronto on a one-year contract.
In 2015–16, Carrick posted 16 goals and 34 points in 52 games with the Marlies and appeared in three games with the Maple Leafs. Following that season, Toronto did not tender him a qualifying offer, and he became an unrestricted free agent.
Anaheim Ducks Era (2017–2024)
On July 1, 2016, Carrick signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Chicago Blackhawks and was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. By the 2016–17 NHL trade deadline, he was second in team scoring with 28 points in 53 games and was dealt by the Blackhawks, along with Spencer Abbott, to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Kenton Helgesen and a seventh-round pick in the 2019 NHL entry draft on March 1, 2017.
After joining Anaheim, Carrick was assigned to the San Diego Gulls and quickly became a core player for the organization. On June 6, 2017, he signed a two-year, two-way contract with Anaheim. During the 2018–19 season, he played six games for Anaheim, earning his first point with the team on March 30, 2019, against the Edmonton Oilers, while also posting 32 goals and 69 points with the Gulls and 7 goals and 14 points in 16 playoff games. On October 18, 2019, he was named captain of the Gulls and during the 2019–20 season he scored his first NHL goal with Anaheim, a shorthanded tally versus the New York Islanders on December 21, 2019.
Carrick continued to produce with the Ducks organization through the pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season and into 2021–22, when he played a career-high 64 NHL games and scored 11 goals and 19 points, earning a two-year contract extension. A hip injury suffered in September 2022 sidelined him for about six months, but he returned to appear in 61 games for Anaheim in 2023–24, scoring eight goals and 11 points.
Edmonton Oilers and Stanley Cup Run (2024)
On March 6, 2024, Carrick was traded to the Edmonton Oilers along with Adam Henrique. He made his Oilers debut on March 7 in a 3–2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets and registered his first goal and point as an Oiler in a 3–2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on March 16. In 16 regular-season games with Edmonton, he scored two goals and five points.
The Oilers qualified for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, where Carrick made his NHL playoff debut on April 22 in Game 1 of the first round against the Los Angeles Kings, skating on a line with Evander Kane and Mattias Janmark. He appeared in ten playoff games and recorded one assist as Edmonton advanced all the way to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final before being defeated by the Florida Panthers in seven games.
New York Rangers Era (2024–2026)
At the conclusion of his contract with Edmonton, Carrick signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers on July 1, 2024, agreeing to a three-year, $3 million contract. He scored his first goal as a Ranger in his very first game with the team, the season-opening 6–0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 9, 2024, an immediate sign of the trust placed in him by the New York coaching staff.
On March 6, 2026, Carrick was traded from the Rangers to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a third-round pick and a sixth-round selection in the 2026 NHL entry draft, beginning a new chapter in his career.
Driving Style and Strengths
Carrick’s strengths are rooted in his responsibilities as a two-way centre rather than in scoring flash. He is trusted in faceoff circles, deployed in penalty-killing situations, and valued for his straight-line skating and physical play along the boards. Coaches have consistently leaned on him as a voice in the room, with his captaincy of the San Diego Gulls and alternate captaincies at multiple AHL stops highlighting his leadership profile.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Carrick’s most memorable career moments are his first NHL goal against the Florida Panthers in 2015, being named captain of the San Diego Gulls in 2019, scoring his first Rangers goal on opening night in 2024, and skating in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final with the Edmonton Oilers. Each of these moments reflects the steady climb of a late-round pick into a dependable NHL contributor.
Sam Carrick Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hockey runs deep in the Carrick family. Sam is the son of John F. Carrick, who played junior C hockey with the Stouffville 70s, and Jane Carrick. He is the second of four brothers, and Jake Carrick, Trevor Carrick, and Josh Carrick have all played major junior ice hockey in the OHL, while Trevor was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2012 NHL entry draft. Sam is also a cousin of minor league player Bobby Hughes.
Personal Life
Off the ice, Carrick and his brothers operate a maple syrup company inspired by their grandfather’s hobby of tapping trees, a project that ties the family to its rural Ontario roots. He is a Canadian national who has built his professional career across multiple NHL and AHL cities while staying closely connected to his family.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season represented Sam Carrick’s first full campaign with the New York Rangers after signing a three-year, $3 million free-agent deal on July 1, 2024. Coming off an extended run to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final with Edmonton, he stepped into a bottom-six centre role focused on faceoffs, penalty killing, and providing energy on the forecheck. His opening-night goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins set an early tone for his tenure in New York.
Throughout the season, Carrick continued to be deployed in a defensive specialist capacity, matching up against opposing teams’ top scorers and logging important minutes on the penalty kill. His familiarity with head coach Peter Laviolette’s systems and his track record of captaincy at the AHL level helped him earn the trust of the Rangers’ coaching staff in a depth role.
Carrick’s tenure with the Rangers came to a close on March 6, 2026, when he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a third-round pick and a sixth-round selection in the 2026 NHL entry draft, marking the start of a new chapter with a rebuilding Sabres team.
