Steve McCarthy (ice hockey) explained

Steve McCarthy
Played For:Chicago Blackhawks
Vancouver Canucks
Atlanta Thrashers
Salavat Yulaev Ufa
TPS
ZSC Lions
Position:Defence
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:6
Height In:1
Weight Lb:198
Birth Date:3 February 1981
Birth Place:Trail, British Columbia, Canada
Draft:23rd overall
Draft Year:1999
Draft Team:Chicago Blackhawks
Career Start:2000
Career End:2016

Steve McCarthy (born February 3, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. McCarthy played in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks and the Atlanta Thrashers.

Playing career

McCarthy was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks with the twenty-third pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He made his debut in the 1999–2000 NHL season and he recorded an assist on his first shift. After playing 134 games with the Blackhawks, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on August 22, 2005 in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He was then traded to the Atlanta Thrashers by the Canucks for a conditional fourth-round pick. on March 9, 2006[1]

In the 2008-09 season, McCarthy left the NHL and signed a one-year contract with Russian team Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the newly formed Kontinental Hockey League. McCarthy struggled to adapt to the European transition and went scoreless in just 18 games with Ufa.

On July 10, 2009, McCarthy returned to the North America when he was signed by the Anaheim Ducks on a one-year contract.[2] However, on September 24, before ever playing a game with the Ducks prior to the 2009-10 season McCarthy was traded back to Atlanta, for future considerations.[3]

On October 1, 2010, McCarthy, went back to Europe, signing with TPS, whose squad had been decimated by in defence. He played 32 games in his only season for the team.

McCarthy signed a one-year deal with the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League A on October 16, 2011, to play under former NHL coach Bob Hartley.[4] On April 17, 2012 - with just 2.5 seconds left in regulation time - he scored the game-winning goal in game 7 of the Swiss playoff finals for ZSC Lions.

Helping the Lions to claim the title, McCarthy followed Bob Hartley, as the newly appointed head coach of the Calgary Flames, back to North America and signed with Flames AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat after a successful try-out on October 7, 2012.[5] McCarthy though was released by the Flames on January 18, 2013 and five days later on January 23, rejoined ZSC Lions for the remainder of the campaign.

In the 2014-15 season, McCarthy as a free agent belatedly signed a professional tryout contract with the AHL's Springfield Falcons on November 11, 2014. He played three games before being released.[6] On February 23, 2015, he was again signed in the AHL in agreeing to a try-out contract with the Iowa Wild.[7]

As an unsigned free agent over the summer, McCarthy continued his playing career by signing a one-year contract with the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL on October 3, 2015.[8] In 30 games with the Wings, McCarthy contributed with 9 points before returning to the American League in signing a professional try-out contract with the Lake Erie Monsters on January 8, 2016.[9] McCarthy featured in 17 games with the Monsters, and remained on the roster as a healthy scratch as the Monsters won their first Calder Cup.

On July 19, 2016, McCarthy signalled the end of his playing career after 16 professional seasons, in accepting an assistant coach role to remain with the Lake Erie Monsters.[10]

International play

McCarthy was captain of Team Canada at the 2000 World Juniors Championships in Sweden. He led the team to a bronze medal finish, as Canada defeated the United States in a shootout.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

  Regular season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1996–97Trail Smoke EatersBCHL5725527761
1996–97Edmonton IceWHL20000
1997–98Edmonton IceWHL5811294059
1998–99Kootenay IceWHL571933527960558
1999–2000Kootenay IceWHL3713233636
1999–2000Chicago BlackhawksNHL51124
2000–01Norfolk AdmiralsAHL70442
2000–01Chicago BlackhawksNHL440558
2001–02Norfolk AdmiralsAHL77721283720332
2001–02Chicago BlackhawksNHL30002
2002–03Norfolk AdmiralsAHL191671490440
2002–03Chicago BlackhawksNHL5714523
2003–04Chicago BlackhawksNHL251348
2005–06Vancouver CanucksNHL5124643
2005–06Atlanta ThrashersNHL1673108
2006–07Atlanta ThrashersNHL464121624
Atlanta ThrashersNHL5516748
2008–09Salavat Yulaev UfaKHL1800016
Chicago WolvesAHL2525728
2010–11TPSSM-l3200081
2011 - 12ZSC LionsNLA27371012151566
Abbotsford HeatAHL30281027
2012–13ZSC LionsNLA80116
2013–14ZSC LionsNLA30002180556
Springfield FalconsAHL30006
2014–15Iowa WildAHL131346
Kalamazoo WingsECHL3027918
Lake Erie MonstersAHL170116
NHL totals302173855168
AHL totals191134861126110772

International

YearTeamEventResult GPGAPtsPIM
2000CanadaWJC70220
2001CanadaWJC71126
Junior totals141346

Awards and honours

AwardsYear
WHL
East First All-Star Team2000
NLA
Swiss Champion (ZSC Lions)2012, 2014

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Thrashers acquire Steve McCarthy, Fata waived. . 2006-03-09 . 2010-07-17 .
  2. Web site: Ducks sign Defensman McCarthy . . 2009-07-10 . 2010-07-17 .
  3. Web site: Thrashers acquire Steve McCarthy from Anaheim . . 2009-09-24 . 2010-07-17 .
  4. News: http://www.zsclions.ch/index.php?id=62&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews<!--[-->tt_news<!---->=1401 Vertrag für Steve McCarthy]. 16 October 2011 . 16 October 2011 . Lions add former NHL defenseman McCarthy.
  5. Web site: Heat announce roster moves and player signing . . 2012-10-07 . 2012-10-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131210203507/http://www.abbotsfordheat.com/news/releases/?article_id=154 . 2013-12-10 .
  6. Web site: Springfield Falcons release defenseman Steve McCarthy from PTO . . 2015-01-01 . 2015-01-01.
  7. Web site: Iowa signs veteran Steve McCarthy . . 2015-02-23 . 2015-02-23 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150225133544/http://www.iowawild.com/fancentral/releases/?article_id=670 . 2015-02-25 .
  8. Web site: Kalamazoo adds to blueline with NHL veteran . . 2015-10-03 . 2015-10-03.
  9. Web site: Monsters sign veteran defenseman Steve McCarthy to PTO . . 2016-01-08 . 2016-01-08.
  10. Web site: Jared Bednar extended, CBJ announced additional Monsters staff hirings . . 2016-07-19 . 2016-07-19.