As one career ends, another begins
Following stroke, McCarthy joins coaching staff of Sharks’ affiliate
Less than two weeks before Christmas, and on the eve of what would have been his 19th game of the American Hockey League season, Sharks minorleaguer John McCarthy suffered a stroke. McCarthy is 33 years old. Thanks to a quick response from the San Jose Barracuda’s training staff and physicians at Kaiser Permanente, McCarthy was stabilized and has since made a full recovery.
Scheduled to have a minor procedure to repair a previously undetected small hole in his heart, McCarthy on Friday announced his retirement and immediately stepped behind the Barracuda bench to assist cocoaches Jimmy Bonneau and Michael Chiasson.
“It’s not something you can prepare for or see coming,” McCarthy said. “It’s ending one chapter. But, at the same time, it’s starting a new one on the coaching side of things.”
McCarthy was selected in the seventh round in 2006, an otherwise pretty forgettable draft
for the Sharks. He was selected a year after MarcEdouard
Vlasic and a year before Logan Couture.
Even if you haven’t heard much about him, McCarthy’s impact on the organization has been felt for years.
“There is no player who has had more of a direct impact on our prospects and our AHL franchise than John McCarthy,” Sharks general manager Doug
Wilson said. McCarthy, a 6foot1, 195pound forward, wasn’t the fastest, the biggest or the strongest prospect. He knew as he put in his time first with Worcester then the Barracuda, he was helping players advance through the ranks and take a job that might have otherwise been his. It didn’t matter.
That’s how the Boston native is wired.
“A lot of organizations have veterans who have stayed around for a long time and helped bring players around,” Kings head coach and exSan Jose bench boss Todd McLel
lan said. “But the thing about Johnny is he’s just such a quality individual.”
McLellan coached the Sharks for four of the five seasons during which McCarthy was recalled from the AHL, which included 87 of his career 88 NHL games. McCarthy appeared for four games in 200910, 37 the following season, 10 more in ’11’12 and 36 more in ’13’14 before playing one final game in 201516 when Peter DeBoer was the Sharks’ head coach.
“You just wish you could have kept him a little longer,” McLellan said. “But not once did he turn his cheek or turn his nose down and not compete. Good career.”
Though he had just three goals and six points during his NHL career, McCarthy departs as the holder of all major Barracuda franchise records including games played (275), goals (62), assists (76), points (138), powerplay goals (17) and shorthanded goals (5). He served as the Barracuda’s captain since 2016 as he did with Worcester for the 201213 season.
In addition to his 577 career AHL games with Worcester, Chicago and San Jose, McCarthy was a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 2018 and won the 2009 national championship while a cocaptain at
Boston University.
The big hurt: The Blackhawks received a doubledose of bad news Thursday when it was announced defensemen Calvin de Haan and Brent Seabrook are scheduled to undergo seasonending surgeries. Both require shoulder surgeries. Seabrook also will have surgery on each hip.
De Haan, 28, is signed through 202122; Seabrook, 34, is signed through ’23’24.
Mother knows best: All parents want their sons to be safe playing in the NHL, but Heather Benn took it a step further on Christmas. She gave both her sons — Jamie of the Stars and Jordie of the Canucks — visors with explicit instructions to wear them on their helmets. Both have agreed.
Everything’s bigger in Texas: The Cotton Bowl, site of the Winter Classic between the Predators and Stars on New Year’s Day, is expected to draw 85,000 fans for the game. That would make it the secondbest attended outdoor game. The 2014 game between the Maple Leafs and Red Wings at Michigan’s Big House drew 105,491.