Michael McCarron
| Michael McCarron | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
McCarron in 2025 | |||
| Born |
March 7, 1995 Grosse Pointe, Michigan, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) | ||
| Weight | 232 lb (105 kg; 16 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Minnesota Wild Montreal Canadiens Nashville Predators | ||
| NHL draft |
25th overall, 2013 Montreal Canadiens | ||
| Playing career | 2015–present | ||
Michael McCarron (born March 7, 1995) is an American professional hockey player who is a forward for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 25th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2013 NHL entry draft.
Playing career
As a youth, he played in the 2008 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Detroit Belle Tire minor ice hockey team.[1]
McCarron was rated as a top prospect who fulfilled the expectation to be a first round selection at the 2013 NHL entry draft.[2] He trained with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP) team from 2011 to 2013,[3] and won a silver medal at the 2013 IIHF World U18 Championships.[4]
McCarron initially committed to play for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Western Michigan University Broncos, before opting out to continue his development through Canadian junior ranks with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).[5] Originally playing (and drafted) as a right winger, McCarron made the switch to center during his first OHL season.[6] On July 11, 2013, McCarron was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens.[7]
In the midst of the 2014–15 season, McCarron was traded by the Knights to OHL contenders, the Oshawa Generals, on January 1, 2015,[8] with whom he won the J. Ross Robertson Cup and Memorial Cup.[9][10]
After a good start in his first professional year in 2015–16, he was called up by the Canadiens and played two games in the National Hockey League (NHL), though without picking up any points.[11] As a result of his good play in the American Hockey League (AHL), McCarron was named to the 2016 AHL All-Star Classic.[12] He was later called up again by the Canadiens on February 26, 2016, after forwards Dale Weise and Tomáš Fleischmann were traded to the Chicago Blackhawks.[13] On February 27, he recorded his first NHL point, an assist on a Devante Smith-Pelly goal, in a 4–1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs.[14] He scored his first NHL goal in a 4–1 loss to the Calgary Flames on March 20, 2016.[15]
While playing with the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, during the 2018–19 season, McCarron underwent a season-ending surgery on his left shoulder in February 2019.[16]
McCarron became a restricted free agent after the 2018–19 season. On July 27, 2019, he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Canadiens.[17]
Continuing with Laval, McCarron entered the 2019–20 season, contributing with five goals and 14 points in 29 games. Having been passed on the depth chart and with limited prospects with the Canadiens, McCarron was traded to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Laurent Dauphin on January 7, 2020.[18]
On December 11, 2022, McCarron entered the NHL Player Assistance Program for issues related to substance abuse,[19] and returned more than a month later, on January 18, 2023.[20]
On April 16, 2023, McCarron signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Predators.[21]
On February 16, 2024, McCarron signed a two-year, $1.8 million contract with the Predators.[22]
During the 2025–26 season, having posted 12 points through 59 games, McCarron was traded by the Predators to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 2028 second-round draft pick on March 3, 2026.[23]
International play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing United States | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
| 2025 Sweden/Denmark | ||
McCarron represented the United States at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded one goal and one assist in ten games and helped Team USA win their first gold medal since 1933.[24]
Personal life
While playing for the Predators' AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, he was given the nickname "Big Show", which was later changed to "Big Sexy" by then teammate Matt Benning.[25]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2010–11 | Honeybaked 18U AAA | T1EHL | 38 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | U.S. NTDP Juniors | USHL | 35 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 112 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | U.S. NTDP U17 | USDP | 53 | 6 | 21 | 27 | 128 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | U.S. NTDP Juniors | USHL | 19 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | U.S. NTDP U18 | USDP | 59 | 16 | 21 | 37 | 182 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | London Knights | OHL | 66 | 14 | 20 | 34 | 120 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 22 | ||
| 2014–15 | London Knights | OHL | 25 | 22 | 19 | 41 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Oshawa Generals | OHL | 31 | 6 | 21 | 27 | 70 | 21 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 33 | ||
| 2015–16 | St. John's IceCaps | AHL | 58 | 17 | 21 | 38 | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 20 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | St. John's IceCaps | AHL | 32 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 66 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2016–17 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 31 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 41 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Laval Rocket | AHL | 54 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 121 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Laval Rocket | AHL | 32 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Laval Rocket | AHL | 29 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 27 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 14 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 51 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 70 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 32 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 16 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 28 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 24 | ||
| 2023–24 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 70 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 100 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2024–25 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 74 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 102 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2025–26 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 59 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 73 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 361 | 33 | 41 | 74 | 495 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | United States | U17 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2013 | United States | U18 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 14 | ||
| 2025 | United States | WC | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Junior totals | 12 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 16 | ||||
| Senior totals | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| OHL | ||
| J. Ross Robertson Cup champion | 2015 | [26] |
| CHL | ||
| Memorial Cup champion | 2015 | [27] |
| Memorial Cup All-Star Team | 2015 | [28] |
| AHL | ||
| AHL All-Star Classic | 2016 | [12] |
References
- ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
- ^ "ISS Draft Rankings (Final 2013)". www.tsn.ca. June 2, 2013. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ "Michael McCarron - The Next Ones: NHL 2013 Draft Prospect Profile". TheHockeyWriters.com. May 17, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
- ^ "2013 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship". USA Hockey. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
- ^ "Incoming freshman named to World U18 squad". Western Michigan Broncos. April 8, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
- ^ Whyno, Stephen (September 14, 2015). "Big Michael McCarron could be Canadiens' dream centre of the future". Kelowna Daily Courier. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ "Canadiens sign Michael McCarron to an entry level contract". Montreal Canadiens. July 11, 2013. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 – via NHL.com.
- ^ "Oshawa Generals acquire McCarron and Mermis from the London Knights". CHL.ca. January 1, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
- ^ "Generals finish off Otters to win OHL title". Sportsnet.ca. May 15, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Pyette, Ryan (May 31, 2015). "Oshawa Generals win Memorial Cup in overtime". Toronto Sun. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ "Michael McCarron called up - Montréal Canadiens - News". canadiens.nhl.com. December 18, 2015. Archived from the original on December 19, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ a b "ROSTERS ANNOUNCED FOR AHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC". TheAHL.com. January 6, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ "Canadiens trade Weise, Fleischmann to Blackhawks for Danault and a pick". Sportsnet.ca. February 26, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ Farrell, Sean (February 27, 2016). "Pacioretty scores twice, Canadiens top Maple Leafs". NHL.com. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ Hickey, Pat (March 20, 2016). "In the Habs' Room: McCarron's first NHL goal spoils Backstrom's shutout bid". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
- ^ "Medical update on Michael McCarron". Montreal Canadiens. February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019 – via NHL.com.
- ^ Cowan, Stu (July 27, 2019). "Canadiens sign Mike McCarron to one-year, two-way contract". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ "Montreal Canadiens trade forward to Preds for Dauphin". TSN.ca. January 7, 2020. Archived from the original on December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ Diamond, Jim (March 15, 2024). "McCarron's biggest fight was off the ice". hamiltoncountyherald.com. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ "Preds' McCarron returns from assistance program". ESPN. January 18, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ "Predators Sign Michael McCarron to 1-Year, $775,000 Contract for 2023-24 | Nashville Predators". Nashville Predators. April 16, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2025 – via NHL.com.
- ^ "Predators Sign Michael McCarron to Two-Year, $1.8 Million Contract | Nashville Predators". Nashville Predators. February 16, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2025 – via NHL.com.
- ^ "Predators send McCarron to Wild for second-round pick". The Sports Network. March 3, 2026. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
- ^ Zaccardi, Nick (May 25, 2025). "U.S. men's hockey team wins first standalone world championship since 1933". NBC Sports. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ Skrbina, Paul (April 1, 2022). "How Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron got 'Big Sexy' nickname". The Tennessean.
- ^ "Oshawa Generals win Robertson Cup". CHL.ca. May 15, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ "Oshawa Generals win 2015 MasterCard Memorial Cup". CHL.ca. May 31, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ "2015 MasterCard Memorial Cup Awards and All-Stars". CHL.ca. May 31, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database