Sam Carrick Bio
Sam Carrick, born February 4, 1992, is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays centre for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round, 144th overall, in the 2010 NHL entry draft and has also played for the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers. Standing 183 cm tall and weighing 91 kg, Carrick is recognized for his two-way play, leadership qualities, and durability as a bottom-six forward.
Carrick’s path to the NHL has taken him through junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League, the ECHL, and the American Hockey League before establishing himself as a reliable NHL contributor. He signed a three-year contract worth $3 million with the Rangers beginning in 2024, and his career is scheduled to run through the 2026–27 season.
Early Life and Background
Sam Carrick was born on February 4, 1992, in Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. He is the son of John F. Carrick and Jane Carrick. His father, John, played junior C hockey with the Stouffville 70s, establishing a household with deep roots in the sport. Carrick grew up in a tight-knit family that produced multiple hockey players, with the young Sam learning the fundamentals of the game in the Greater Toronto Area.
As a youth, Carrick competed in the 2005 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament as a member of the Markham Waxers minor ice hockey team. He later played his Minor Midget season for the Toronto Red Wings of the Greater Toronto Hockey League. These early experiences in the strong minor hockey system of southern Ontario provided Carrick with the foundation to attract the attention of major junior scouts.
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 to the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL final, four games to one. The experience of competing deep into the postseason sharpened his two-way game and introduced him to the pressures of high-level junior hockey.
During his second season with the Battalion, Carrick set new highs in goals and points, drawing the attention of NHL scouts. The Toronto Maple Leafs selected him in the fifth round, 144th overall, of the 2010 NHL entry draft. He served as an alternate captain in his third OHL season and was named captain of the Battalion for the 2011–12 season, recording 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. The Maple Leafs assigned him to the ECHL to begin the 2012–13 season, where he made his professional debut with the Idaho Steelheads. In 50 games with the Steelheads, he scored 16 goals and 37 points before being reassigned to the Maple Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, on March 1, 2013. He finished his rookie season with the Marlies, scoring two goals in 19 games.
In his first full AHL season, Carrick registered 14 goals in 62 games and was named an alternate captain with the Marlies. In the final year of his entry-level contract, he impressed during the Maple Leafs’ pre-season training camp but remained with the Marlies, where he continued to develop his game.
Toronto Maple Leafs Era (2014–2016)
Carrick received his first NHL recall by the Maple Leafs early in the 2014–15 season to replace an injured Joffrey Lupul. He made his NHL debut in a 3–2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on November 1, 2014, marking the start of his top-flight career. He scored his first NHL goal on March 26, 2015, against the Florida Panthers, and was named the third star of the game. He played 16 games with the Maple Leafs, registering one goal and two points.
In the 2015–16 season, Carrick put up 16 goals and 34 points in 52 games with the Marlies and played in three games with the Maple Leafs. At the end of the season, he re-signed with Toronto on a one-year contract. Following that campaign, the Maple Leafs did not tender him a qualifying offer, and he became an unrestricted free agent.
Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks (2016–2024)
On July 1, 2016, Carrick signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. He was assigned to the AHL affiliate Rockford IceHogs to begin the 2016–17 season and was second in team scoring with 28 points in 53 games by the NHL trade deadline. On March 1, 2017, the Blackhawks dealt him, along with Spencer Abbott, to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Kenton Helgesen and a seventh-round pick in the 2019 NHL entry draft.
Upon joining Anaheim, the Ducks assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, where he collected 11 points in 15 regular-season games and added 7 points in 10 playoff games. He signed a two-year, two-way contract with Anaheim on June 6, 2017, and went on to become a leader for the Gulls. During the 2018–19 season, he played six games for Anaheim, earning his first point with the team on March 30, 2019, versus the Edmonton Oilers, while adding 32 goals and 69 points with the Gulls. He was named captain of the Gulls on October 18, 2019.
Carrick was re-signed to multiple contracts by the Ducks and gradually earned a more consistent NHL role. After a career-high 64 games with Anaheim in 2021–22, he was rewarded with a two-year contract extension. He suffered a hip injury in September during the 2022–23 Ducks training camp that sidelined him for six months, and he began the 2023–24 season with the Ducks, playing 61 games and scoring eight goals and 11 points.
Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers (2024–Present)
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 the Oilers, he scored two goals and five points. The Oilers made the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, and Carrick made his NHL playoff debut on April 22 in Game 1 of the first-round series versus the Los Angeles Kings, skating on a line with Evander Kane and Mattias Janmark. He played in ten playoff games, registering one assist, as the Oilers advanced to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, where they were defeated by the Florida Panthers in seven games.
At the conclusion of his contract with the Oilers, on July 1, 2024, Carrick signed as a free agent to a three-year, $3 million contract with the New York Rangers. He scored his first goal as a Ranger in his first game with the team, the season-opening 6–0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 9.
Driving Style and Strengths
Carrick is widely regarded as a dependable two-way centre whose value comes from faceoff reliability, penalty killing, and energy in the bottom six. His skating, physicality, and willingness to engage in difficult matchups have made him a trusted complementary piece in the lineups of multiple organizations.
Notable Events and Milestones
Highlights of Carrick’s career include his 2010 NHL draft selection, his 2014–15 NHL debut with the Maple Leafs, his tenure as captain of the San Diego Gulls, his 2024 trade to the Edmonton Oilers during a Stanley Cup run, and his first goal as a New York Ranger in the 2024–25 season opener.
Sam Carrick Family
Family Background and Hockey Lineage
Carrick is the son of John F. Carrick and Jane Carrick. His father, John, played junior C hockey with the Stouffville 70s, helping foster a strong hockey culture in the household. Carrick is the second of four brothers, all of whom have played major junior ice hockey in the OHL: Jake Carrick (born 1990), Trevor Carrick (born 1994), and Josh Carrick (born 1995). Trevor was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2012 NHL entry draft and has played in the AHL. Carrick is also a cousin to minor league journeyman Bobby Hughes.
Personal Life
Carrick is a Canadian national who was raised in Stouffville, Ontario. Public details about his marital status, spouse, or children are not clearly supported in available sources.
2025 Season Performance
Sam Carrick entered the 2025 calendar year in the second season of his three-year, $3 million contract with the New York Rangers. The season began in strong fashion for the centre, as he scored his first goal as a Ranger in the season-opening 6–0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 9, 2024, immediately establishing himself as a contributor in the Rangers’ bottom six.
Throughout 2025, Carrick has continued to provide the Rangers with dependable two-way play, penalty killing, and faceoff work. His veteran presence and prior playoff experience, including the 2024 Stanley Cup Final run with the Edmonton Oilers, have made him a steady influence in the locker room. With the Rangers competing in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race, Carrick’s role on the fourth line and as a penalty-killing specialist has remained a steady part of the team’s structure.
Looking ahead through the remainder of 2025, Carrick is expected to continue serving as a reliable bottom-six centre for the Rangers. With two more years remaining on his contract after 2024–25, his tenure in New York is positioned to provide organizational depth and leadership as the team pursues a deep postseason run.