Sandy McCarthy facts for kids

Sandy McCarthy (born June 15, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a right winger. Sandy played for 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). His teams included the Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, and Boston Bruins.

Sandy McCarthy's Hockey Journey

Sandy McCarthy started playing hockey in his hometown. He played for the Barrie Minor Hockey Association. Later, he joined the Midland Centennials in the Georgian Bay Junior C Hockey League. He also played for the Hawkesbury Hawks in the Central Junior A Hockey League.

In 1989, the Niagara Falls Thunder picked Sandy in the OHL Priority Selection. He then joined the QMJHL's Laval Titan. There, he became a strong player, known as a power forward. He even went to the Memorial Cup in 1990 with his team.

The Calgary Flames chose Sandy in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 52nd player picked overall. After his junior career, he played for the Salt Lake Golden Eagles in the IHL. When he joined the Flames, he became known as an "enforcer." This meant he often got into fights to protect his teammates.

During his time in the NHL, Sandy faced some tough situations. In 1998, he was accused of making inappropriate gestures. These were said to be against another player, Peter Worrell. Sandy and his teammate denied these claims. Peter Worrell also said he did not hear or see any insults. Sandy explained that he would never do such a thing. He said he grew up with a mixed background (half Aboriginal and half Black). He had experienced racial taunts himself.

The next year, in 1999, Sandy was with the Philadelphia Flyers. He claimed that Tie Domi of the Toronto Maple Leafs made racial comments to him. Domi strongly denied this. An NHL investigation also found no proof of Domi's actions.

As Sandy's NHL career went on, his playing style changed. He became more of a "pressure player." This meant he helped his team both offensively and defensively.

Sandy played for the Calgary Flames for five years. In 1998, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He then played for the Philadelphia Flyers for two seasons. After that, he had a short time with the Carolina Hurricanes. In 2000, Sandy joined the New York Rangers. He scored 11 goals that season, which was his career high. The next season, he had 23 points, another career best.

One famous moment happened on November 8, 2001. Sandy was playing for the New York Rangers against the New York Islanders. He tried to start a fight with defenceman Eric Cairns, but Cairns refused. Later, Sandy scored a goal. As he celebrated, Cairns gave him a jab. This led to a fight between Cairns and another player, Steve McKenna. While Cairns was in the penalty box, Theoren Fleury made fun of him. Fleury flapped his arms like a chicken. He was suggesting Cairns was scared to fight Sandy. Sandy then showed off his muscles. The next time the teams played, Cairns and McCarthy finally fought. Cairns won that fight.

In 2003, Sandy signed with the Boston Bruins. Then, in 2004, the Rangers claimed him again.

In 2012, Sandy McCarthy was honored. He was inducted into the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame. This is in Barrie, Ontario, where he grew up.

In his 11 seasons in the NHL, Sandy played 735 games. He scored 72 goals and made 76 assists. He also spent 1554 minutes in the penalty box. During his career, he earned over 7 million dollars.

Coaching Hockey

After playing for 15 seasons in the NHL, Sandy became a coach. He started as an assistant coach for the Woodstock Slammers. This is a Junior A team in New Brunswick. The team's president, Andrew McCain, said Sandy was a great motivator. He believed in hard work and discipline. These qualities helped the team aim for the Royal Bank Cup. Sandy joined the coaching staff in 2015. Later, he became the head coach of the team.

About Sandy's Life

Sandy McCarthy's father is Black, and his mother is a white woman from Newfoundland. His mother also has Mi'kmaq ancestry.

Sandy was born in Toronto. When he was young, he moved to Barrie, Ontario. He lived right across from the hockey rink in Allandale. Today, he lives in Woodstock, New Brunswick. He used to be the head coach of the Campbellton Tigers in the Maritime Hockey League. He left that job in 2021 to focus on his health.

Career statistics