Carrick Reaches 400 NHL Games With Sabres
The 34-year-old forward marked the milestone against the Ottawa Senators as Buffalo continues its home-and-road stretch.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Hockey
Sam Carrick played his 400th NHL game for the Buffalo Sabres against the Ottawa Senators. Carrick, 34, became a full-time NHL player in the 2021-22 season after a long minor-league career.
Why it matters
Carrick's milestone reflects a long path through the AHL and ECHL before establishing himself as an NHL regular. His role as a fourth-line faceoff specialist gives Buffalo a depth option as the team manages injuries.
Carrick has won 82 faceoffs and lost 61 since the trade, a 57.3% win rate, with five goals after joining Buffalo. He has played 15 professional seasons, including 471 AHL games and 50 ECHL games.
The players
Sam Carrick
Carrick is a 34-year-old NHL forward from Markham, Ontario, who spent years in the minor leagues before establishing himself with the Sabres as a faceoff specialist.
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are an NHL franchise based in Buffalo, New York, competing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.
The details
Carrick has been a fourth-line faceoff specialist and has played both right wing and center in six games this season. He missed three games from Oct. 20-27 with a middle-body injury before returning to the lineup.
Timeline
Carrick became a full-time NHL player in the 2021-22 season.
The Sabres acquired Carrick from the Rangers in March for third- and sixth-round picks in the 2026 NHL draft.
Carrick sustained a left-arm injury in a March 31 fight with Anders Lee.
Season Trajectory
Carrick's milestone comes as the Sabres work through a 14-game season with key players out, including Jiri Kulich and Conor Timmins. Depth forwards who can handle faceoffs and multiple positions have become central to the team's lineup decisions.
Carrick's 400th game adds a depth option to the Sabres' faceoff group while Kulich and Timmins are expected back against Ottawa. Fantasy managers tracking the Sabres' lineup should monitor how the coaching staff distributes minutes among the forwards.
The takeaway
Carrick's path from the AHL to 400 NHL games shows how depth players can become reliable contributors. Watching how Buffalo balances its lineup as injured players return will reveal how much the team depends on faceoff specialists.
Further reading
For more on the team's season, see Hockey coverage of the Buffalo Sabres.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Buffalo News.
