Sandy McCarthy

Sandy McCarthy (born June 15, 1972) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey right winger who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins.

Sandy McCarthy
Born	June 15, 1972 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	235 lb (107 kg; 16 st 11 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Calgary Flames (1993–1998) Tampa Bay Lightning (1998–1999) Philadelphia Flyers (1999–2000) Carolina Hurricanes (2000) New York Rangers (2000–2003) Boston Bruins (2003–2004) New York Rangers (2004)
NHL Draft	52nd overall, 1991 Calgary Flames
Playing career	1992–2004

Playing career

Sandy McCarthy was selected by the Calgary Flames in the third round (52nd overall) of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. He began playing hockey in the Georgian Bay Junior C Hockey League with the Midland Centennials and the Central Junior A Hockey League for the Hawkesbury Hawks. As a power forward, McCarthy played for the QMJHL Laval Titan in the 1989–90 season before being drafted by the Calgary Flames. He played one last season with the Titan. His next stop was during the 1992–93 season for the IHL's Salt Lake Golden Eagles. Sandy throughout his career with the Flames played the role as the enforcer, with many major fights.[1] One of his more infamous fights happened while a New York Rangers. In a game on November 8, 2001, against the New York Islanders, McCarthy challenged defenceman Eric Cairns to a fight which Cairns refused. Later in the shift, McCarthy scored and as McCarthy celebrated, Cairns gave him a jab to the jaw, which led to a fight between Cairns and Steve McKenna. While Cairns was in the penalty box, he was called chicken by Theoren Fleury who flapped his arms like a chicken to suggest that Cairns was afraid to fight McCarthy, who flexed his biceps and looked at Cairns.[2] The next time the two teams played against each other on December 21, 2001 Cairns fought McCarthy and beat him.[3]

While playing in the NHL, Sandy McCarthy became well known for incidents surrounding racial slurs. In the year 1998, McCarthy was accused of racial insensitivity in the form of gestures against African-American player, Peter Worrell.[4] Along with teammate Darcy Tucker, allegations were denied and the victim, Worrell, also confirmed he had not seen or heard any racial insults made towards him from either of the Tampa Bay players. McCarthy stated that growing up half aboriginal and half black, he would "never go there" because he had to go through racial taunts growing up.[4] This incident occurred during a game against the Florida Panthers while McCarthy was a player of the Tampa Bay Lighting in 1998.

The following season in 1999, McCarthy was a playing for the Philadelphia Flyers when he stated that Toronto Maple Leafs player, Tie Domi, made racial slurs towards him. Domi insisted this was a false accusation against him and went on to say he had no respect for McCarthy and would never partake in a fight with him. An NHL investigation was also conducted that reinforced Domi's denial.[5]

As his time in the NHL went on he switched from his role as a power forward in junior hockey to more of a pressure player, offensively as well as defensively.[1]

He would stay in Calgary for the next five years before being traded, in 1998, to the Tampa Bay Lightning, for a short stay. His next stop was with the Philadelphia Flyers for the next two seasons then a brief stint for the Carolina Hurricanes. McCarthy would then move on to the New York Rangers in August 2000 where he would have score a career season high 11 goals. The next season, he would score a career high in points with 23. He was then signed by the Boston Bruins during the summer of 2003 then was claimed off waivers at the 2004 trade deadline by the Rangers.

In 2012, McCarthy was inducted into the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame in Barrie, ON.[6]

In his 735 games, 15 season NHL career, McCarthy recorded 72 goals, 76 assists and 1554 penalty minutes.[7] In his 11 seasons in the NHL he made just over 7 million dollars, increasing his yearly amount each year he played.[8]

Coaching career

After 15 seasons in the NHL, McCarthy changed his focus from professional hockey to becoming an assistant head coach with the Woodstock Slammers, a Junior A team in New Brunswick.[9] Andrew McCain, President of the Junior A team stated McCarthy was a "motivator who had strong beliefs in detection and discipline" which would help the team reach their goal of making it to the Royal Bank cup.[9] Since 2015, Sandy has remained a part of the coaching staff of the team and has become the head coach.[10]

Personal life

McCarthy is partly of Black Canadian and First Nations descent.[11][12] McCarthy being of Mi'kmaq descent, this being one of Canada's official First Nations.[13]

Born in Toronto, McCarthy moved to Barrie, Ontario as a young boy and lived across the street from the rink in Allandale.[14] He now lives in Woodstock, New Brunswick and is the associate coach of the Campbellton Tigers of the Maritime Hockey League.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1987–88	Midland Centennials	GBJHL		18	2	1	3	70		—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	Hawkesbury Hawks	CJHL		42	4	11	15	139		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Laval Titan	QMJHL		65	10	11	21	269		14	3	3	6	60
1990–91	Laval Titan	QMJHL		68	21	19	40	297		13	6	5	11	67
1991–92	Laval Titan	QMJHL		62	39	51	90	326		8	4	5	9	81
1992–93	Salt Lake Golden Eagles	IHL		77	18	20	38	220		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Calgary Flames	NHL		79	5	5	10	173		7	0	0	0	34
1994–95	Calgary Flames	NHL		37	5	3	8	101		6	0	1	1	17
1995–96	Calgary Flames	NHL		75	9	7	16	173		4	0	0	0	10
1996–97	Calgary Flames	NHL		33	3	5	8	113		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Calgary Flames	NHL		52	8	5	13	170		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		14	0	5	5	71		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		67	5	7	12	135		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		13	0	1	1	25		6	0	1	1	0
1999–2000	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		58	6	5	11	111		—	—	—	—	—
1999–2000	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		13	0	0	0	9		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	New York Rangers	NHL		81	11	10	21	171		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	New York Rangers	NHL		82	10	13	23	171		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	New York Rangers	NHL		82	6	9	15	81		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Boston Bruins	NHL		37	3	1	4	28		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	New York Rangers	NHL		13	1	0	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				736	72	76	148	1534		23	0	2	2	61

Transactions

• March 24, 1998 – Traded by the Calgary Flames, along with Calgary's 1998 3rd and 5th round draft choices, to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Jason Wiemer.[15]
• March 20, 1999 – Traded by the Tampa Bay Lightning, along with Mikael Andersson, to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Colin Forbes and Philadelphia's 1999 4th round draft choice.[16]
• March 14, 2000 – Traded by the Philadelphia Flyers to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Kent Manderville.[17]
• August 4, 2000 – Traded by the Carolina Hurricanes, along with Carolina's 2001 4th round draft choice, to the New York Rangers in exchange for Darren Langdon and Rob DiMaio.[18]
• August 12, 2003 – Signed as a free agent with the Boston Bruins.[19]
• March 9, 2004 – Claimed off waivers by the New York Rangers from the Boston Bruins.[20]

References

1. "Hockey Hall of Fame".
2. Dellapina, John (December 21, 2001). "RANGERS ISSUE FIGHTIN' WORDS MCCARTHY, FLEURY TARGET ISLES' CAIRNS". NY Daily News. New York. Retrieved 28 November 2001.
3. Caldwell, Dave (December 22, 2001). "HOCKEY; Cairns Doesn't Back Down, and Neither Do Isles". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
4. "N.H.L.: NOTEBOOK -- TAMPA BAY; N.H.L. Investigates Alleged Racial Slurs". The New York Times. Associated Press. 1998-10-07. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-26.
5. "Tie Domi vs Sandy McCarthy". Pension Plan Puppets. 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2018-03-26.
6. "Free Press Online Sports". Hornets coach inducted in Barrie Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
7. "Barrie Sports Hall of Fame Society". Retrieved 1 December 2012.
8. "Salary History". Retrieved 26 March 2017.
9. "Slammers Hire Assistant Head Coach". http://slammershockey.ca/news. External link in |website= (help)
10. "Banquet Held". http://slammershockey.ca/news. External link in |website= (help)
11. "N.H.L.: NOTEBOOK -- TAMPA BAY; N.H.L. Investigates Alleged Racial Slurs". The New York Times. 1998-10-07.
12. Rhoden, William C. (1999-04-28). "Sports of The Times; Hockey Pioneer Takes the Sport to Another Level". The New York Times.
13. "Native Hockey". 2015-10-25. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
14. Pereira, Gene (2 October 2012). "Former NHLer says he'll always respect enforcers". The Barrie Examiner. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
15. "1998 NHL Transactions: Calgary Flames, Traded". foxsports.com. Fox Sports. September 4, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
16. El-Bashir, Tarik (March 21, 1999). "N.H.L.: Trade Roundup -- Islanders; 3 Veterans Are Traded As Rebuilding Begins". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
17. "Hurricanes Acquire Sandy McCarthy From Philadelphia". nhl.com. Carolina Hurricanes. March 14, 2000. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
18. "Hockey; Rangers Trade for Toughness". nhl.com. The New York Times. August 4, 2000. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
19. "NHL Player Search: Sandy McCarthy". hhof.com. Hockey Hall of Fame. September 4, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
20. "Rangers' dump aids Senators' quest". espn.com. ESPN. March 9, 2004. Retrieved September 4, 2017.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database