Why Sam Carrick’s family was shocked when Rangers center scored in overtime: ‘We were surprised to see him out there’
One of the more uplifting moments for the New York Rangers in this dismal season featured an unlikely hero. So much so that Sam Carrick’s own family couldn’t believe he was a part of the big moment.
But there Carrick was, seizing the moment Jan. 9 at Madison Square Garden in a major rivalry game against the New Jersey Devils, who had smoked the Rangers twice in December. But this time, the teams were tied 2-2 through 60 minutes of play.
With a lineup that included Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere and other offensively gifted forwards, it was Carrick, the fourth-line center, out there halfway through overtime who shockingly played hero.
“We were surprised to see him out there with only a few minutes left, let alone overtime,” Carrick’s brother Josh said on a recent “Skates Off” episode on the NHL YouTube channel.
“I don’t know how he ended up getting on the ice in overtime,” his father, John, added.
Carrick came through when it mattered most; he poked the puck away from Jack Hughes to set up a two-on-one with Reilly Smith. Moving in with the puck, Smith sent it across the ice to Carrick, who ripped a one-timer past Jacob Markstrom for a thrilling 3-2 Rangers victory.
It was the first overtime goal of Carrick’s career. Understandably, his family went nuts back home in Ontario when celebrating — breaking a reclining chair in the process.
“It was pretty funny to hear their celebration after the overtime winner,” Carrick said.
Aside from his clutch overtime goal, Carrick has been a consistent presence in his first season with the Rangers. He’s played 76 of their 77 games, always displaying a hard-nosed brand of hockey. In addition to his six goals and 12 assists, Carrick is fourth on the Rangers with 136 hits.
The only game he missed was on the recent California road trip when he was back home for the birth of his daughter.
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Sam Carrick returns to family business after Rangers season ends
Carrick will soon return to the Carrick Bros. Maple Syrup business because the Rangers are unlikely to qualify for the postseason — they are eight points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference with five games to play.
It’ll be a stark contrast to last year when Carrick went as far as possible: Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Edmonton Oilers added Carrick in a three-team trade near the 2024 deadline, and he appeared in 10 postseason games, including one in the Final against the Florida Panthers, who won their first Stanley Cup championship.
Though the family business was founded in 2020, the Carrick’s maple syrup tradition dates back long before then. Carrick’s grandfather owned a farm with a few hundred maple trees. Each spring, the four Carrick brothers would race around the farm, seeing who could collect the most sap.
The brothers, all close in age, also competed on the ice. They played two-on-two matchups on their grandparents’ frozen pond in the winter, as well as in their basement. All four played junior hockey in the OHL, and Sam ultimately got drafted in the fifth round (No. 144 overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“When Sam was drafted to the Maple Leafs, that was probably the most incredible moment of his life and our life,” said his mother, Jane. “Just to think that he was drafted by the Leafs and being our hometown.”
After Josh and Jake’s hockey careers came to a close, they both went back to school, got business degrees and officially started the Carrick Bros. Maple Syrup business in 2020. Five years later, they own multiple properties, totaling roughly 1,200 acres and 46,000 maple trees.
“There is some similarities between maple syrup and hockey,” the Rangers center said. “It takes a lot of teamwork; everyone’s gotta’ do their job, everyone has to be very proficient at it. A lot of hard work, it can be demanding on the body going around outside and tapping all those trees, so you need to be in good shape.”
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