Connor Carrick says accidental counter-hit on Tom Wilson during Capitals training camp helped him make NHL at age 19

"I reverse hit him in training camp, thinking he was Stanislav Galiev. They both had white Easton Mako sticks. [Tom] wasn't happy. Made it very clear that moving forward in training camp, our truce, because we were going to be teammates in Plymouth, was over. Mike Haviland told me that was the moment Caps management decided to keep me at 19 in pro hockey."

"Connor Carrick was the surprise of Washington Capitals training camp in 2013, making the club's roster as a teenager. Not only was he just 19, but he had been selected in the fifth round of the previous year's draft, not the usual story of a prospect, especially a defenseman, starting their professional career so early."

Connor Carrick unexpectedly made the Washington Capitals roster in 2013 as a teenager and fifth-round draft pick, an unusual achievement for a young defenseman. While first-round pick Tom Wilson arrived with playoff experience, Carrick secured his spot through an incident during training camp. Carrick accidentally delivered a reverse hit on Wilson, mistaking him for another player with a similar stick. Though Wilson was unhappy about the hit, the incident caught the attention of Capitals management, including head coach Adam Oates and general manager George McPhee. This moment convinced them to start Carrick's professional career early, leading to his assignment to the AHL's Hershey Bears despite having remaining junior eligibility.

Read at RMNB