Conor Garland

Lore & Background

Garland began skating at age four and attended clinics run by Michael Botticelli. He played youth hockey with Boston Mission and Team Massachusetts before attending Shattuck-Saint Mary's in Minnesota, where he recorded 116 points in 52 games. At age 14, he was cut from the bantam team due to his height and joined the Boston Junior Bruins of the Empire Junior Hockey League. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2012 QMJHL draft by the Moncton Wildcats. During the 2014–15 season with the Wildcats, he led the QMJHL and CHL with 129 points, was named to the QMJHL First All-Star team, and received the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy as league MVP. He was selected 123rd overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2015 NHL entry draft. After signing an entry-level contract, he played for the Coyotes' AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, and made his NHL debut on December 8, 2018. He was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on July 23, 2021, along with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, in exchange for Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, Antoine Roussel, and draft picks. He signed a five-year, $24.75 million extension before the 2021–22 season and later a six-year, $36 million extension on July 1, 2025. On March 6, 2026, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick.

Reader's Guide

Conor Garland's tenure with the Vancouver Canucks spanned four and a half seasons, from his acquisition in July 2021 to his trade in March 2026. He was acquired in a blockbuster trade that sent several players and draft picks to the Arizona Coyotes, and he immediately signed a five-year, $24.75 million contract extension. His time in Vancouver was marked by consistent offensive production, and he later signed a six-year, $36 million extension on the first day he was eligible, July 1, 2025. However, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets less than a year later, on March 6, 2026, for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. Garland also represented the United States at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, recording five goals and five assists in ten games and helping Team USA win their first gold medal since 1933. His career path—from being cut from a bantam team due to height to becoming an NHL regular and signing multi-million-dollar contracts—illustrates his perseverance and development as a player.

Did You Know?

• Garland was cut from his bantam team at age 14 due to his height.
• He led the QMJHL and CHL with 129 points during the 2014–15 season.
• He was the Coyotes' nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2020.
• He helped Team USA win their first IIHF World Championship gold medal since 1933 in 2025.