John McCarthy, who's spent parts of 11 seasons in the AHL with San Jose's affiliate teams, has announced his retirement from hockey after suffering an Ischemic stroke. It happened earlier this month due to a previously undetected hole in his heart.
Following swift medical attention from the team's staff and staff at a nearby hospital, McCarthy was stabilized and has made a complete recovery. In the coming weeks, he'll undergo a minor heart procedure to correct the issue.
Drafted in the seventh round by the San Jose Sharks in 2006, McCarthy spent most of his career with the Worcester Sharks and the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. Worcester served as San Jose's minor-league affiliate before the team was moved to the same city as the NHL team in 2015. Now 33, McCarthy played 88 games in the NHL with the Sharks throughout his career, recording three goals and three assists for six points. He has served as the Barracuda team captain since 2016 and also served as captain of the Worcester Sharks for the 2012-13 season.
While McCarthy is retiring from on-ice play, he is not leaving hockey altogether. Beginning with Friday's Barracuda game against the Stockton Heat, McCarthy will join Co-Coaches Jimmy Bonneau and Michael Chiasson as a member of the team's coaching staff.
"There is no player who has had more of a direct impact on our prospects and our American Hockey League franchise than John McCarthy," said Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson. "'Mac' has been a pillar for San Jose's American Hockey League franchises, first in Worcester and the last four-plus seasons in San Jose. While we're sad to see his playing career come to an end, we couldn't be more excited about his staying in our organization and joining the coaching staff of the Barracuda."
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