Going undrafted and trying to make it to the NHL is hard enough but having a small stature of 5-foot-9, 170 pounds weakens a player’s chances even more. However, Utah Hockey Club forward Michael Carcone defied the odds as an undrafted player after his first full season in the NHL. After being traded three times, he finally found his stride in Arizona. It is time to return to 2022-23 and review his American Hockey League (AHL) All-Star season.
2022-23 AHL All-Star
Entering his third season with the Arizona Coyotes‘ AHL affiliate Tucson Roadrunners, Carcone had accumulated 66 points in 83 games. Having six years of AHL hockey under his belt, he was given an alternate captain’s A along with forward Bokondji Imama and defenseman Cam Dineen.
Carcone commented on what it meant to him to be named one of the three alternates.
“To me, it means a lot,” Carcone said. “I want to be a guy that guys can lean on and look up to, somebody that they can follow. Hopefully I’m doing a good job of that, you’ll have to ask them, but I just try to do what I can on the ice and be a good person off the ice.”
The Canadian certainly was someone who his teammates could look up to. Playing in 65 games with the Roadrunner, he notched 85 points and led the AHL in scoring which netted him the John B. Sollenberger Trophy. Out of the top six point-getters in the AHL that season, he played the least number of games. He scored 30-plus points more than the next closest scorer on the Roadrunners that season. If that was not good enough, Carcone scored 14 power-play goals and recorded three four-point nights.
Not only did the 85-point scorer provide offense in Tucson, but he was also a team player. Carcone dropped the gloves five times and racked up 127 penalty minutes. He talked about why he chose to fight opposing players.
“It depends on the situation, like the time of the game or what we need. Especially with our identity and our team, we had the most penalty minutes in the league, we’re a team that thrives off of that,” Carcone said. “I know the guys would do it for me, so I just want to show them that I’ll do it for them too. My biggest thing was showing the guys that I can do it too, and that I’d go through a wall for them.”
A combination of speed, skill, and physicality helped the Roadrunners squeak into the Calder Cup Playoffs that season. In the first round, Tucson took on the eventual Calder Cup finalists in the Coachella Valley Firebirds and lost in a three-game series. Although the Roadrunners did not make a deep run, Carcone’s offensive numbers were no joke. Since the 2012-13 season, only three AHL players have scored more points than him in a single regular season. With this in mind, it was no surprise he was selected to the 2022-23 AHL First All-Star Team at the end of the season.
On June 21, 2023, Coyotes’ general manager Bill Armstrong brought back Carcone on a two-year deal worth $775,000 annually.
2023-24 NHL Season
Carcone came out of the gates blazing to start the 2023-24 season. Through Arizona’s first 28 games, he led the team in goals with 14. On Oct. 30, 2023, against the Chicago Blackhawks, he scored his first NHL hat trick as part of a four-point night. It took him only five minutes into the second period to score three goals in the Coyotes’ 8-1 victory that night.
Related: Coyotes’ Michael Carcone Flourising in New Role
Carcone commented about the historic marker in his career.
“It’s pretty crazy, I’m not going to lie,” Carcone said. “I haven’t fully gotten to digest it that much right now. It’s been a while in the American League, obviously. I’m proud of myself, proud of my linemates, and on to the next one.”
His goal-scoring abilities earned him sporadic time on Arizona’s second power-play unit. The Coyotes had several forwards in and out of the lineup throughout the season, so Carcone ranged anywhere from four to 16 minutes of playing time a game. Overall, he played a bottom-six role and looked to provide secondary offense.
However, for many players’ first few years at the NHL level, they have their ups and downs. While Carcone had a hot start to the season, he was a healthy scratch numerous times throughout the campaign. It partially was not his fault as wingers Josh Doan and Dylan Guenther came up from Tucson and made names for themselves. Consistency was the issue; 14 of his 29 points this season came through multi-point games (he had six of those.) The Coyotes head coach André Tourigny understood that this was a potential issue in his game.
A season before, Carcone was called up for nine games with the Coyotes, scoring two goals and one assist, and three points. Tourigny talked about what roadblock stood in the way of him becoming an NHL regular.
“It’s not a question of knowing if he has the talent, if he has the shot, if he has the skill, if he has the speed,” Tourigny said. “It’s a matter of, can he play a consistent 200-foot game? That’s what separated him from the NHL.”
As he continues to develop into a consistent skater, there’s no denying this season was a breakout one for Carcone as he set career highs in many scoring statistics. 21 goals, eight assists, and 29 points in 74 games at the NHL level is great value for someone who is making $775,000 per year. Four of his 21 goals were game-winners; one notable game for Carcone came on April 5, when the Coyotes found themselves down 4-1 heading into the third period against the Vegas Golden Knights. Arizona stormed back with six unanswered goals to win 7-4 against the defending Stanley Cup Champions; Carcone tied the the game at 4-4 and close to five minutes later, his pin-balled shot made its way to the back of the net to put the Coyotes up 5-4.
Outlook for Utah
Entering the final year of his contract, Carcone will look build off his breakout campaign and become a 30 to 40 point scorer during Utah’s inaugural season. In 104 NHL games played, he has scored 27 goals, 11 assists, and 38 points. With so many question marks surrounding the franchise with their move to Utah, anything can happen.
