Playing career complete, McCarthy taking his next shot
With his retirement official and the next phase of his life about to launch, a different kind of road trip awaited Chris McCarthy.
The former Reading Royals center and was in the middle of a six-hour drive to Vermont. There wasn’t a game at the end of this trip. There was a future.
McCarthy, a Collegeville native, plans to open a hockey training facility in Malvern in November. The University of Vermont alum was heading north to see a similar one started by a friend.
Hockey is over for McCarthy in one way. In another it’s just beginning. That made closing the door on a six-year career a bit easier.
“It was always a dream; I wanted to be a pro hockey player,” McCarthy said. “I wanted to make this my living. Do it for as long as I can. That was my goal since I was 10.”
McCarthy made it. He played 113 AHL games and 247 ECHL games. He was a star in the Coast and a role player in the American League.
There’s no question he’s one of the best players in Royals history. He ranks fourth all-time with 61 goals and 119 assists in 181 games. After the big three, Ryan Cruthers, Yannick Tifu and Olivier Labelle, there’s McCarthy on every scoring list.
It was a winding road that brought McCarthy to Reading. When he was 16, he left home to play for a prep school in Massachusetts. He made the U.S. National team the following year and had a chance to see the world.
Becoming a pro brought him back to familiar ground. He spent most of his final four seasons either in Reading, Lehigh Valley or Hershey.
“Everything kind of came full circle,” McCarthy said. “You travel all the way around the world just to play professional hockey right down the street. I was lucky and fortunate to have that situation come around.”
McCarthy’s best season was 2018-19 when he delivered 20 goals and 54 assists while appearing in all 72 games for the Royals. He was named AllECHL second team.
Retirement was on McCarthy’s mind after he signed an AHL deal with Hershey last summer. He viewed this past year as a last stand.
“I had it in my mind that this was going to be my last season unless I shot out of a cannon and had a career year,” McCarthy said. “I kind of gave it until halfway through the year to see what was going on. It’s not that I wanted it to be my last, but I was prepared to step away.”
As the months passed, McCarthy started setting the foundation for his facility. It’ll have half a rink, a gym and a mental health program. McCarthy will serve as owner and trainer. He’s putting together a staff of ex-players.
The 9-to-5 cubicle world was always something McCarthy wanted to avoid. This allows him to stay connected to a sport he loves.
“If you do anything for 20plus years it’s going to be hard to walk away from,” McCarthy said. “That’s why in some capacity I wanted to stay in the game and create something that would help the next generation of kids.”
McCarthy realizes that nothing can duplicate the adrenaline rush of being a player. The anticipation during the national anthem. The thrill of scoring a goal.
What he’ll have instead is a place to give youngsters a chance to share the same experiences.
“The game has shaped who I am,” McCarthy said. “Obviously the ultimate goal is to play in the NHL and have that 10-year career. That line is so small. It’s timing and opportunity. I couldn’t ask for anything else. I feel at peace with everything I’ve accomplished.”
That’s how McCarthy knew it was time to try something else.