Spencer Carbery Explained

Birth Date:9 November 1981
Birth Place:Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lb:190
Position:Left wing
Shoots:Left
Played For:Tulsa Oilers
Bakersfield Condors
Stockton Thunder
Fresno Falcons
South Carolina Stingrays
League Coach:NHL
Team Coach:Washington Capitals
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2006
Career End:2010
Career Start Coach:2010

Spencer Carbery (born November 9, 1981) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Carbery started his junior career with the Peninsula Panthers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) in the 1999–2000 season. He was a key factor in the club going to the league finals, putting up 34 goals and 42 assists for 76 points to become the leading rookie scorer in Panthers franchise history. Carbery played junior hockey with the Cowichan Valley Capitals of the British Columbia Hockey League in the 2000–01 season, scoring 58 points during regular season play.

In 2002, Carbery attended the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he netted 1 goal and 2 assists in 26 games. Carbery attended St. Norbert College from 2003 to 2006, finishing out his NCAA career with 103 points in the regular season.

Carbery turned pro in 2006, signing with the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League. During the 2006–07 season, he scored 44 points (16 goals, 28 assists) over 63 games in the regular season.

In 2007, Carbery moved to the ECHL, where he split the season between the Bakersfield Condors (18 games, 3 goals, 3 assists), the Stockton Thunder (20 games, 0 goals, 2 assists), and the Fresno Falcons (20 games, 2 goals, 2 assists). Carbery also saw playoff action with the Falcons in 2008, playing 1 game in the National Conference quarterfinals.

Carbery remained with the Falcons for the beginning of the 2008–09 season, putting up 13 points over 29 games in the regular season. Following the suspension of Falcons operations, Carbery joined the South Carolina Stingrays' roster, scoring 29 points (12 goals, 7 assists) over 39 games.[1] Carbery's playoff action with the Stingrays culminated in 5 goals, 8 assists, and a Kelly Cup championship.

On September 11, 2009, Carbery re-signed as a free agent to a one-year contract to return to South Carolina.[2] In the 2009–10 season on January 7, 2010, Carbery was named an alternate captain for the Stingrays.[3] He achieved a Gordie Howe hat trick on January 16, 2010, against the Kalamazoo Wings.[4] On January 25, 2010, his goal against the Reading Royals aided the Stingrays in tying the ECHL record for the most players with a point in one game. All 15 skaters registered a point in the 8–5 victory over the Royals.[5]

Coaching career

On August 31, 2010, Carbery announced his retirement from professional hockey and was named the Stingrays' assistant coach.[6] He served as an assistant coach for the 2010–11 season, helping lead the team to a 37 - 29 - 3 - 3 regular season record and an appearance in the 2011 Kelly Cup playoffs.

After head coach Cail MacLean resigned to accept a position with the American Hockey League's Abbotsford Heat in July 2011,[7] Carbery was named the team's sixth head coach and director of hockey operations. At the age of 29, he was the youngest head coach in the ECHL at the time.[8] He would eventually leave the Stingrays in 2016 to become head coach of the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League.[9] After one season, he left the Spirit to become an assistant for the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL).[10]

Returning to the Washington Capitals farm system where he had begun his coaching career, Carbery was announced as the head coach of the Hershey Bears in the AHL on June 26, 2018.[11] In 2021, he led the team to the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy in 2021, the AHL's regular season league championship, and won the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award for coach of the year.

On July 17, 2021, Carbery was hired as an assistant coach by the Toronto Maple Leafs.[12]

On May 30, 2023, Carbery was named head coach of the Washington Capitals.[13] In his first season, the Capitals clinched the second wild card, but were swept in the first round by the New York Rangers.

Career statistics

Team League GP GP G A Pts PIM
2000–01Cowichan Valley CapitalsBCHL6031275832
2002–03Alaska Anchorage SeawolvesWCHA2612322
2003–04St. Norbert Green KnightsNCHA292021418
2004–05St. Norbert Green KnightsNCHA3024123640
2005–06St. Norbert Green KnightsNCHA2811122341
2006–07Tulsa OilersCHL63162844157
2007–08Bakersfield CondorsECHL1833644
2007–08Stockton ThunderECHL2002243
2007–08Fresno FalconsECHL202246810000
2008–09Fresno FalconsECHL29581368
2008–09South Carolina StingraysECHL391271912623581362
2009–10South Carolina StingraysECHL55101929132500020
ECHL totals18132417348129581382

Awards

Notes and References

  1. News: Press release . Rays add Curry, Carbery to roster . . January 5, 2009 . July 1, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110716143552/http://www.stingrayshockey.com/team/teamnews/index.html?article_id=865 . July 16, 2011 .
  2. News: Staff reports . Carbery back for Stingrays . . September 11, 2009 . July 1, 2010.
  3. News: Press release . Stingrays announce Captain and Alternates . . January 7, 2010 . July 1, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110716143433/http://www.stingrayshockey.com/team/teamnews/index.html?article_id=1277 . July 16, 2011 .
  4. News: Miller . Andrew . Carbery spreads Wings . . January 17, 2010 . July 1, 2010.
  5. Web site: Press release . Stingrays tie ECHL record for most players with point . . January 25, 2010 . November 10, 2011.
  6. News: Press release . Stingrays keep it in the Family: Carbery named assistant coach . . August 31, 2010 . September 2, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110716143633/http://www.stingrayshockey.com/team/teamnews/index.html?article_id=1505 . July 16, 2011 .
  7. News: Miller . Andrew . Stingrays head coach taking job with Abbotsford Heat . . July 21, 2011 . July 26, 2011. .
  8. Web site: Press release . Stingrays name Carbery sixth head coach in team history . . July 26, 2011 . July 26, 2011.
  9. Web site: Carbery Named Head Coach of Saginaw Spirit . OurSports Central . June 21, 2016.
  10. Web site: Spencer Carbery leaves Saginaw Spirit for AHL coaching job . MLive . 25 July 2017.
  11. Web site: Spencer Carbery Named Head Coach of the Hershey Bears . OurSportsCentral.com . June 26, 2018.
  12. Web site: SPENCER CARBERY NAMED ASSISTANT COACH OF TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS . Hershey Bears . 17 July 2021.
  13. Web site: Capitals Name Spencer Carbery Head Coach . NHL.com . May 30, 2023 . May 30, 2023.
  14. Web site: 2005-06 NCHA men's All-Academic team . . February 23, 2006 . January 23, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081012154953/http://www.nchahockey.org/0506/0506allmacademic.htm . October 12, 2008 .
  15. Web site: Carbery named ECHL Coach of the Year. retrieved August 14, 2014