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Cory Conacher

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Cory Conacher
Conacher in 2019
Born (1989-12-14) December 14, 1989 (age 35)
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Tampa Bay Lightning
Ottawa Senators
Buffalo Sabres
New York Islanders
Lausanne HC
SC Bern
HC Ambrì-Piotta
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2011–2024

Cory Conacher (born December 14, 1989) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. Undrafted, Conacher played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, and the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

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Youth

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Growing up in Burlington, Ontario, Conacher spent most of his minor hockey career playing AAA and AA hockey in the OMHA's Tri-County League until playing AAA at Major Midget in 2005-06 season. He spent 1 year playing Midget for the Eagles before graduating as a 17-year-old to the OJHL's Burlington Cougars Jr. A. club in 2006-07.

Collegiate career

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Prior to turning professional, Conacher played college hockey at Canisius College with the Canisius Golden Griffins men's ice hockey team. He would ultimately become the school's all-time leader in points (147), goals (62) and game-winning goals (12) in 129 games.[1]

Cory Conacher in the penalty box in Pittsburgh

Largely due to his diminutive size, Conacher went undrafted through his four years with Canisius. However, Conacher became the program's most decorated player, setting 12 records. He graduated with a degree in Finance.

Tampa Bay Lightning (first stint)

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He was subsequently signed after his senior year in 2010–11 to amateur try-out contracts with the Rochester Americans, Cincinnati Cyclones and the Milwaukee Admirals. As a free agent on July 6, 2011, Conacher signed a one-year contract with the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL.[2]

In the 2011–12 season, after attending the Tampa Bay Lightning pre-season camp,[3] Conacher was selected to play in the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic, after leading all rookies in scoring. While leading the Admirals in goals and points, Conacher signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Admirals' NHL affiliate, the Tampa Bay Lightning, on March 1, 2012.[4] Upon helping the Admirals capture their first Calder Cup, Conacher's successful season was rewarded with the Les Cunningham Award as the league's MVP, becoming just the fourth rookie to win it since it was first presented in 1948. Conacher was subsequently awarded the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award and was also named to the AHL All-Rookie team and the Second AHL All-Star Team.[5]

With the NHL lockout in effect, Conacher started the 2012–13 season with Tampa's new AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. Once the lockout concluded Conacher was recalled by the Lightning to attend training camp for the shortened NHL season. He immediately made an impact with Tampa Bay, scoring his first NHL goal in his first NHL game on January 19, 2013, on opening night against Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals in a 6-3 win. Conacher continued to be productive and placed second in NHL rookie scoring with 24 points in 35 games before being dealt at the trade deadline (along with a 2013 fourth-round draft pick) to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for goaltender Ben Bishop on April 3, 2013.[6]

Ottawa Senators

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Conacher's first full season with the Senators was a difficult one, as he struggled to find offensive consistency. Through his first 58 games of the season he recorded only four goals and was a healthy scratch on multiple occasions. Conacher's offensive struggles were perhaps magnified by the fact that goaltender Bishop, the player he had been traded for, was playing very well in Tampa Bay and was frequently receiving mention as a Vezina Trophy candidate. On March 4, 2014, the eve of the 2013–14 NHL trade deadline, Conacher was placed on waivers by the Senators.[7] He was subsequently claimed by the Buffalo Sabres on March 5, 2014.[8]

Buffalo Sabres

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The Sabres declined to offer Conacher a contract extension, which allowed him to become a free agent on June 30, 2014. The team was undecided in regard to retaining his rights, only deciding at the last minute to release him.[9]

New York Islanders

[edit]

On July 1, 2014, Conacher was signed as a free agent by the New York Islanders on a one-year, $600,000 contract.[10] After playing in 15 of the team's first 29 games, Conacher was placed on waivers by the Islanders on December 12, 2014. He cleared waivers and was assigned to the team's minor league affiliate, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the following day.[11] On March 2, 2015, Conacher was traded to the Vancouver Canucks, in exchange for Utica Comets player Dustin Jeffrey.[12] He was assigned to AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, securing an offensive role to help the club reach the Calder Cup finals.

SC Bern

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On July 1, 2015, Conacher left the NHL as a free agent and signed a two-year contract with Swiss club, SC Bern, of the NLA.[13] In December 2015, he was selected to play for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup and helped win the title, while being named to the tournament's all-star team. He won the National League A title that same season with SC Bern, scoring 5 goals in 14 playoffs games.

Tampa Bay Lightning (second stint)

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On July 13, 2016, Conacher once again signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League to a one-year, one-way contract.[14] On January 29, 2017, Conacher was added to the 2017 American Hockey League All-Star Classic roster. Conacher will represent the Crunch on the North Division All-Star team.[15] On April 6, 2017, Conacher was named to the 2016-17 AHL ALL-Star Second Team.[16] On June 28, 2017, the Lightning announced that it had re-signed Conacher to a two-year, $1.3 million contract extension.[17] On October 17, 2018, the Lightning re-signed Conacher to a one-year contract extension.[18]

Lausanne HC

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On July 28, 2020, Conacher returned to the National League (NL) and agreed to a three-year contract with Lausanne HC.[19] On February 16, 2021, Conacher moved to former club, SC Bern. Conacher signed a new 3-year deal with SCB, keeping him at the club through to the end of the 2022/23 season.[20] On February 23, 2022, SC Bern announced that Conacher would be loaned to HC Ambrì-Piotta for the remainder of the season.[21]

Later career

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After two seasons in Switzerland, and with a desire to play closer to home,[22] Conacher opted to return to North America for the 2022–23 season and signed a professional tryout contract with the Belleville Senators of the AHL, affiliate of former club the Ottawa Senators, on November 1, 2022.[23] Conacher featured in just 2 games with Belleville before suffering a long-term injury in which he was released upon his recovery. On February 22, 2023, Conacher continued in the AHL by signing a PTO with the Charlotte Checkers, affiliate to the Florida Panthers.[24] In playing with the Checkers for the remainder of the season, Conacher collected 9 points through 15 games.

As a free agent, Conacher was again on the move within the AHL, securing a one-year contract with the Chicago Wolves on June 1, 2023.[25] He was later signed to a professional tryout contract to attend the Carolina Hurricanes training camp in preparation for the 2023–24 season on August 29, 2023.[26] In his last professional season, Conacher posted 8 goals and 19 points through 66 regular season games with the Wolves.

Personal

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Conacher was born with a bladder exstrophy, a rare condition in which his bladder was outside his body. When he was ten days old he underwent a ten-hour surgical procedure in which doctors reconstructed his pelvis in order to place his bladder back into his body. The situation was so severe that doctors informed his parents that he might never walk properly.[27] Additionally, Conacher was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of eight. When not playing he often has an insulin pump attached to his hip to regulate his blood glucose levels.[1]

Conacher is a distant relative of Hockey Hall of Famers Charlie, Roy, and Lionel Conacher,[28] but despite rumours to the contrary, he is not related to former NHL forward Pat Conacher. Cory Conacher has a younger brother, Shane Conacher, who played for the Adirondack Thunder, and in 2023-24 was playing for the Dundas Real McCoys .[29][30] Both starred at Canisius College,[31][30] but were never teammates. Cory graduated in 2011, while Shane matriculated in 2013.[32]

Post-playing career

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On July 5, 2024, he became the new owner of the Strathroy Rockets of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.[33]

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
2005–06 Burlington Eagles AAA Midget 48 30 33 63 30 — — — — —
2006–07 Burlington Cougars OPJHL 48 22 40 62 62 — — — — —
2007–08 Canisius College AHA 20 7 10 17 24 — — — — —
2008–09 Canisius College AHA 37 12 23 35 42 — — — — —
2009–10 Canisius College AHA 35 20 33 53 36 — — — — —
2010–11 Canisius College AHA 37 23 19 42 54 — — — — —
2010–11 Rochester Americans AHL 2 1 0 1 2 — — — — —
2010–11 Cincinnati Cyclones ECHL 3 5 2 7 0 — — — — —
2010–11 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 5 3 2 5 2 7 0 1 1 6
2011–12 Norfolk Admirals AHL 75 39 41 80 114 18 2 13 15 28
2012–13 Syracuse Crunch AHL 36 12 16 28 56 — — — — —
2012–13 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 35 9 15 24 16 — — — — —
2012–13 Ottawa Senators NHL 12 2 3 5 6 8 3 0 3 31
2013–14 Ottawa Senators NHL 60 4 16 20 34 — — — — —
2013–14 Buffalo Sabres NHL 19 3 3 6 16 — — — — —
2014–15 New York Islanders NHL 15 1 2 3 14 — — — — —
2014–15 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 28 5 17 22 30 — — — — —
2014–15 Utica Comets AHL 20 7 9 16 22 23 5 3 8 28
2015–16 SC Bern NLA 48 22 30 52 68 14 5 4 9 20
2016–17 Syracuse Crunch AHL 56 17 43 60 113 22 12 16 28 27
2016–17 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 11 1 3 4 4 — — — — —
2017–18 Syracuse Crunch AHL 18 7 8 15 36 — — — — —
2017–18 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 36 8 4 12 24 2 0 0 0 10
2018–19 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 1 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2018–19 Syracuse Crunch AHL 70 22 42 64 95 4 1 2 3 6
2019–20 Syracuse Crunch AHL 44 14 24 38 39 — — — — —
2019–20 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 4 0 1 1 4 — — — — —
2020–21 Lausanne HC NL 21 9 5 14 20 — — — — —
2020–21 SC Bern NL 19 9 13 22 32 6 2 3 5 6
2021–22 SC Bern NL 36 13 7 20 30 — — — — —
2021–22 HC Ambrì-Piotta NL 5 1 3 4 6 — — — — —
2022–23 Belleville Senators AHL 2 0 1 1 0 — — — — —
2022–23 Charlotte Checkers AHL 15 4 5 9 6 7 2 1 3 2
2023–24 Chicago Wolves AHL 66 8 11 19 80 — — — — —
NHL totals 193 28 47 75 118 10 3 0 3 41
Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Canada
Spengler Cup
Gold medal – first place 2015 Davos

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2015 Canada SC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4 2 3 5 4
Senior totals 4 2 3 5 4

Awards and honours

[edit]
Award Year
College
All-Atlantic Hockey First Team 2009–10 [34]
Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year 2009–10 [35]
All-Atlantic Hockey Second Team 2010–11
AHL
Les Cunningham Award 2011–12 [5]
Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award 2011–12 [36]
All-Rookie Team 2011–12 [37]
Second All-Star Team 2011–12, 2016–17 [38][39]
Calder Cup (Norfolk Admirals) 2011–12 [40]
All-Star Game 2017, 2019 [15][41]
CCM/AHL Player of the Month (November 2018) 2018–19 [42]
NLA
Champion 2015–16 [43]

References

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  1. ^ a b Wharnsby, Tim (October 9, 2012). "Cory Conacher has overcome plenty, including surname". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  2. ^ "Conacher signs AHL contract". wgrz.com. 2011-07-06. Archived from the original on 2012-09-17. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  3. ^ "Undrafted free-agent Cory Conacher in the mix for roster spot with Tampa Bay". TampaBay.com. 2011-09-23. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
  4. ^ "Lightning sign forward Cory Conacher". Tampa Bay Lightning. 2012-03-01. Retrieved 2012-03-01.
  5. ^ a b "Conacher voted AHL MVP". American Hockey League. 2012-04-13. Archived from the original on 2012-05-02. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
  6. ^ "Lightning get Bishop in exchange for Conacher". National Hockey League. 2013-04-03. Retrieved 2013-04-03.
  7. ^ "Senators place Conacher, Corvo on waivers". The Sports Network. 2014-03-04. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
  8. ^ "Waiver wire: Sabres claim Conacher, Bruins claim Potter". The Sports Network. 2014-03-05. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  9. ^ Hoppe, Bill (July 1, 2014). "Sabres let Cory Conacher and Jamie McBain go, Sam Reinhart visits Buffalo for first time". Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  10. ^ "Islanders sign Johnson, Conacher and Brennan". National Hockey League. 2014-07-01. Retrieved 2014-07-01.
  11. ^ "Islanders Transactions: Cory Conacher on waivers; Sound Tigers sign Colton Gillies. Update: Conacher clears waivers". Lighthouse Hockey. December 12, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  12. ^ "Canucks acquire Cory Conacher from Islanders". National Hockey League. March 2, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  13. ^ "Cory Conacher for SCB" (in German). SC Bern. 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  14. ^ "Lightning sign forward Cory Conacher to one-year contract". Tampa Bay Lightning. 2016-07-13. Retrieved 2016-07-13.
  15. ^ a b "3 MORE ADDED TO ALL-STAR ROSTERS". theahl.com. 2017-01-29. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
  16. ^ "Matt Taormina, Cory Conacher named to 2016-17 AHL All-Star Teams". syracusecrunch.com. Syracuse Crunch. April 6, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  17. ^ "Lightning re-sign forward Cory Conacher to two-year contract". NHL.com. Tampa Bay Lightning. June 28, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  18. ^ "Lightning re-sign forward Cory Conacher to one-year contract". NHL.com. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  19. ^ "For three years - Lausanne HC confirms arrival of Cory Conacher". swisshockeynews.ch. 28 July 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  20. ^ "Cory Conacher leaves LHC, joins SC Bern effective immediately". swisshockeynews.ch. 16 February 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  21. ^ "Cory Conacher to HC Ambri-Piotta immediately" (in Swiss High German). scb.ch. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  22. ^ "Weekend notebook: Conacher excited for AHL return". American Hockey League. November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  23. ^ "Belleville Sens sign Cory Conacher to PTO". Belleville Senators. November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  24. ^ "Checkers sign Cory Conacher to PTO". Charlotte Checkers. February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  25. ^ Chicago Wolves (June 1, 2023). "Wolves sign Cory Conacher". Twitter. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  26. ^ "Canes sign Conacher, Perlini to PTOs". Carolina Hurricanes. August 29, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  27. ^ Mooney, Roger (21 September 2017). "'Dream big' drives Lightning's Conacher brothers". Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  28. ^ "Burlington's little big man Conacher turning some heads in Norfolk". thespec.com. March 5, 2012. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  29. ^ Chamberlain, Dominic. "Decision made: Shane Conacher signs with the Toronto Marlies." The Griffin (Canisius College student newspaper), April 8, 2016.
  30. ^ a b Moritz, Amy (December 10, 2013). "Hockey's band of brothers: Shane shoots at brother Cory Conacher's record". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  31. ^ Moritz, Amy (February 18, 2016). "Oh, brother: Another Conacher nears milestone for the Griffs". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  32. ^ All-Time Letterwinners (Men's Ice Hockey) – Canisius College Athletics.
  33. ^ "New Ownership for the Strathroy Rockets". Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. July 5, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  34. ^ "NCAA 2010 AHA All-Star Team". Eliteprospects.com. 2010-04-05. Retrieved 2012-04-03.
  35. ^ "Conacher gets off to another hot start". InsideCollegeHockey.com. 2010-10-15. Retrieved 2012-01-02.
  36. ^ "Conacher named top rookie". American Hockey League. 2012-04-12. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
  37. ^ "AHL All-Rookie Team announced". American Hockey League. 2012-04-04. Archived from the original on 2012-06-27. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
  38. ^ "2011–12 First and Second All-Stars named". American Hockey League. 2012-04-05. Archived from the original on 2012-04-08. Retrieved 2012-04-05.
  39. ^ "Matt Taormina, Cory Conacher named to 2016-17 AHL All-Star Teams". syracusecrunch.com. Syracuse Crunch. April 6, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  40. ^ "Admirals win 2012 Calder Cup Championship". Norfolk Admirals. 2012-06-09. Archived from the original on 2012-06-25. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  41. ^ "Cory Conacher and Connor Ingram Named 2019 AHL All-Stars". syracusecrunch.com. Syracuse Crunch. January 3, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  42. ^ "Cory Conacher Named CCM/AHL Player of the Month". syracusecrunch.com. Syracuse Crunch. December 3, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  43. ^ "Roy Berns Up Swiss League Championship". HockeyBuzz. 2016-04-16. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year
2009–10 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Atlantic Hockey Regular Season Scoring Trophy
2009–10 		Succeeded by
Preceded by AHL Rookie of the Year
2011–12 		Succeeded by
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