Conor Garland

Conor Garland
Garland with Team USA in 2023
Born (1996-03-11) March 11, 1996 (age 28)
Scituate, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position Right wing
Shoots Right
NHL team
Former teams		 Vancouver Canucks
Arizona Coyotes
National team  United States
NHL draft 123rd overall, 2015
Arizona Coyotes
Playing career 2016–present

Conor Garland (born March 11, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey right winger for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Garland was drafted in the fifth round (123rd overall) by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Prior to turning professional, Garland played for the Moncton Wildcats in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) where he was awarded the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy as the QMJHL Most Valuable Player and twice selected for the QMJHL First All-Star Team. After a successful stint with the Coyotes' American Hockey League affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, he played parts of three NHL seasons before the Coyotes traded him to the Canucks.

Early life

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Garland was born on March 11, 1996, in Scituate, Massachusetts[1] to parents Bridget, a train station foreman, and Garry, who was a collegiate hockey player. He also has three sisters, two of whom played collegiate lacrosse.[2] He began skating at the age of four and attended skating clinics run by Michael Botticelli.[3]

Playing career

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Youth

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Growing up in Massachusetts, Garland played youth hockey with Boston Mission and Team Massachusetts.[4] He then attended Shattuck-Saint Mary's, a boarding school in Minnesota, where he recorded 116 points in 52 games.[1] At the age of 14, Garland was cut from their bantam team due to his height, and subsequently joined the Boston Junior Bruins in the Empire Junior Hockey League (EmJHL) for the 2011–12 season.[2] Following his first season with the Bruins, in which he recorded 94 points in 40 games, Garland was drafted in the sixth round of the 2012 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Draft by the Moncton Wildcats.[5]

After beginning the 2012–13 season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the United States Hockey League (USHL), Garland moved to playing for the Wildcats in the QMJHL, foregoing his NCAA eligibility.[5][6]

Juniors

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During the 2014–15 season, while playing with the Wildcats, Garland led both the QMJHL and Canadian Hockey League (CHL) with 129 points. He was named to the QMJHL First All-Star Team, and was further honored when he was awarded the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy as the QMJHL Most Valuable Player.[7] Garland was then selected 123rd overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, by the Arizona Coyotes.

Arizona Coyotes

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Garland with the Arizona Coyotes in 2019

While in his final season of junior with the Wildcats, Garland was signed to a three-year entry-level contract by the Coyotes on December 23, 2015.[8] Following the conclusion of the season, Garland was invited to participate in the Coyotes 2016 development camp[9] and remained in the state for the remainder of the offseason.[10] Following camp, Garland was reassigned to the Coyotes American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, for the 2016–17 season.[11] He recorded his first professional goal on December 2, 2016, against the San Diego Gulls.[12]

After attending training camp, Garland was reassigned to the Roadrunners to begin the 2018–19 season. He led the team with 19 points before earning his first NHL call-up on December 3. His recall was due to his outstanding play at the AHL level and the belief that he minimized his bad habits from junior hockey and became a more complete player.[13] He made his NHL debut on December 8, 2018, in a 5–3 loss to the San Jose Sharks.[14] During his callup, he earned a top-line left-wing role alongside center Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller.[13] Through his first 36 games with the Coyotes, Garland accumulated 12 goals and three assists for 15 points and 10 penalty minutes. He also tied for third on the team in goals and power-play goals. Having established a role within the Coyotes, adding 12 goals in 35 games, Garland was signed to a two-year, $1.55 million contract extension on February 27, 2019.[15] Despite his offensive output, the Coyotes were eliminated from playoff contention on April 5, 2019, in a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.[16] He finished the season with 13 goals and five assists through 47 NHL games.[17]

During a game against the Calgary Flames, Garland suffered a lower-body injury when he collided with goaltender Cam Talbot.[18] On March 8, 2020, it was announced that Garland would be week to week with a lower-body injury. At the time of the injury, he led the team in goals and was tied third for points with 39.[19] He tallied 22 goals and 17 assists for 39 points through 68 regular season games and set single-season career highs in games, goals, assists, points, game-winning goals and shots.[20] Six days following the injury, the NHL paused the season due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. Once they returned to play, Garland was healthy and rejoined the lineup.[21] On June 9, Garland was the Coyotes nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy as a "player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey."[20]

During practice, Garland suffered another lower-body injury and was listed as week-to-week.[22] Upon returning from the injury, Garland tallied six points through three games to rank third on the team in scoring with 38 points.[23] During the season, the Coyotes played the St. Louis Blues seven times. During the series, he played with Schmaltz and Keller on the Coyotes' "Short Leash Line" which combined for 21 points.[24] As the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft approached, Garland was one of seven forwards protected by the Coyotes.[25]

Vancouver Canucks

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On July 23, 2021, Garland's restricted free agent signing rights were traded, along with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, Antoine Roussel, a 2021 first-round pick, a 2022 second-round pick, and a 2023 seventh-round pick.[26] Prior to the start of the 2021–22 season, Garland signed a five-year, $24.75 million contract extension with the Canucks.[27]

Medal record
Representing  United States
Ice hockey
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Latvia

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2011–12 Boston Jr. Bruins EMJHL 40 42 52 94 53 5 3 6 9 14
2011–12 Boston Jr. Bruins EJHL 2 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2012–13 Muskegon Lumberjacks USHL 6 1 2 3 2 — — — — —
2012–13 Moncton Wildcats QMJHL 26 6 11 17 16 5 0 0 0 0
2013–14 Moncton Wildcats QMJHL 51 24 30 54 39 6 2 3 5 2
2014–15 Moncton Wildcats QMJHL 67 35 94 129 66 16 3 22 25 17
2015–16 Moncton Wildcats QMJHL 62 39 89 128 97 17 5 10 15 18
2016–17 Tucson Roadrunners AHL 55 5 9 14 37 — — — — —
2017–18 Tucson Roadrunners AHL 55 8 19 27 40 9 1 4 5 6
2018–19 Tucson Roadrunners AHL 21 12 13 25 22 — — — — —
2018–19 Arizona Coyotes NHL 47 13 5 18 12 — — — — —
2019–20 Arizona Coyotes NHL 68 22 17 39 20 8 1 1 2 0
2020–21 Arizona Coyotes NHL 49 12 27 39 26 — — — — —
2021–22 Vancouver Canucks NHL 77 19 33 52 36 — — — — —
2022–23 Vancouver Canucks NHL 81 17 29 46 31 — — — — —
2023–24 Vancouver Canucks NHL 82 20 27 47 35 13 3 2 5 2
NHL totals 404 103 138 241 160 21 4 3 7 2

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2021 United States WC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 10 6 7 13 6
2023 United States WC 4th 10 2 6 8 0
Senior totals 20 8 13 21 6

Awards and honours

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Award Year
QMJHL
Jean Béliveau Trophy - Top Scorer 2014–15, 2015–16 [28]
First Team All Star 2014–15, 2015–16 [29]
Michel Brière Memorial Trophy - MVP 2014–15 [30]
CHL Top Scorer Award (tied with Dylan Strome) 2014–15 [31]
International
World Championship All-Star Team 2021

References

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  1. ^ a b "Conor Garland". Elite Prospects. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  2. ^ a b MacIntyre, Iain (July 27, 2021). "Often overlooked, underappreciated, Garland ready for big stage with Canucks". Sportsnet. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Morgan, Craig (February 7, 2020). "Part figure skater, part Rocky and much more: Perpetual motion keys Conor Garland's success". The Athletic. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  4. ^ Pierce, Jessi (January 9, 2020). "Making it at 5-foot-8". Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Garland commits to the Cats". Moncton Wildcats. December 5, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  6. ^ Charron, Cam (December 5, 2012). "Conor Garland signs in Moncton, becomes second Penn State commit to join CHL in a week". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  7. ^ "Wildcats' Garland wins big at Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Awards". Atlantic.ctvnews.ca. April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  8. ^ "Coyotes Sign Garland to Entry-Level Contract". National Hockey League. December 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  9. ^ "Coyotes to Hold Prospect Development Camp July 4–8 at Gila River Arena". National Hockey League. June 16, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  10. ^ Perez, Anthony (July 6, 2016). "Garland Working to Reach NHL". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  11. ^ "Coyotes' Conor Garland: Assigned to AHL Tucson". CBS Sports. October 2, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  12. ^ Kinkopf, Alex (December 2, 2016). "Garland: "The first one's the toughest one"". tucsonroadrunners.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  13. ^ a b Vest, Dave (December 17, 2018). "Garland Getting Comfortable on NHL Ice". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  14. ^ "Radil, Sharks hold off Coyotes' comeback". tsn.ca. December 8, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  15. ^ "Coyotes Sign Garland to Two-Year Contract Extension". National Hockey League. February 27, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  16. ^ Webster, Danny (April 5, 2019). "Coyotes eliminated during win against Golden Knights". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  17. ^ Kinkopf, Alex (September 14, 2019). "Garland's 'nothing written in stone' training camp approach". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  18. ^ Kinkopf, Alex (April 9, 2020). "Garland's Healthy Focus Is On More Than Just Hockey". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  19. ^ "Garland week to week for Coyotes with lower-body injury". National Hockey League. March 8, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  20. ^ a b "Conor Garland Nominated For Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy". National Hockey League. June 9, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  21. ^ "Return to Play Buzz: Garland, Chychrun healthy for Coyotes". National Hockey League. May 28, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  22. ^ "Coyotes' Conor Garland out week-to-week with lower-body injury". Sportsnet. April 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  23. ^ Kinkopf, Alex (May 8, 2021). "The Wrap: An Unforgettable Night". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  24. ^ Kinkopf, Alex (May 22, 2021). "Memorable Moments: 2020-21". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  25. ^ Kinkopf, Alex (July 18, 2021). "Coyotes 11-Player Protected List for the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft". National Hockey League. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  26. ^ "Canucks acquire Ekman-Larsson, Garland from Coyotes for ninth pick, three players". The Sports Network. July 23, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  27. ^ "Garland signs five-year, $24.75 million contract with Canucks". National Hockey League. July 27, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  28. ^ "QMJHL announces Golden Puck Award winners; All-star teams announced". The Q News.net. April 9, 2015. Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  29. ^ "The Golden Puck Awards: an unforgettable evening!". Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  30. ^ "Wildcats Recognition at QMJHL Golden Puck Awards". Moncton Wildcats. March 28, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  31. ^ "CHL announces 2014-15 Award winners". Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. April 3, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
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