Tuesday night will feature a special milestone as Conor Garland skates in his 500th career NHL game. When the 29-year-old hits the ice at Rogers Arena, he will become the 28th player from the 2015 draft class to hit the half-century mark. From QMJHL star to a key member of the Vancouver Canucks, Garland has had an impressive career so far.
Before being drafted into the NHL, Garland spent four seasons lighting up the QMJHL. In 206 games, he recorded 328 points and is still the all-time points leader for the Moncton Wildcats. In 2015, not only was Garland drafted 123rd overall by the Arizona Coyotes, but he took home the Michel Brière Trophy, which is given to the QMJHL’s Most Valuable Player.
Once his QMJHL career came to a close, Garland made the jump to the AHL, joining the Tucson Roadrunners. Over his time in the AHL, he would record 66 points in 131 games while being invited to the All-Star Game during the 2018-19 season. Garland would make his NHL debut on December 8, 2018, while his first goal came on December 22, 2018, against the Colorado Avalanche.
After splitting the 2018-19 season between the NHL and AHL, Garland made the jump full-time to the Coyotes in 2019-20. In his first full campaign, he recorded 39 points in 68 games, while recording 39 points in 49 games the season after. In 2021, Garland also received his first opportunity to play for Team USA, winning a Bronze Medal at the World Championship.
The 2021 off-season was a massive one for Garland, as not only did he pick up a Bronze Medal, but he was traded to Vancouver on July 23, 2021. The trade was Garland, along with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, to the Canucks for a first-round pick in 2021, a second-round draft pick in 2022, a seventh-round draft pick in 2023, Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, and Antoine Roussel. Even at the time, this trade was polarizing in the market and remains a topic of debate to this day.
A few days after the trade, Garland signed a five-year extension with Vancouver. The contract, which carries an AAV of $4.95 million, has aged gracefully as Garland has put up 207 points in 335 games with the Canucks. During his time in Vancouver, Garland has emerged as a leader on the ice and has already signed an extension that will keep him with the Canucks until 2032.
“Well, he’s resilient,” said Head Coach Adam Foote when asked about Garland’s 500th career game. “He’s there because of his resiliency. How’s he’s raised. I think he was raised the right way. He grinds. He competes. He doesn’t quit on pucks. I think the rest of the group loves that about him, and I think he leads by example. He’s fun to be around. He holds guys accountable in his way. He’s coming into a nice leadership role, and it’s nice to see him have success.”
Garland’s journey is impressive for numerous reasons. He is the 68th player drafted in the fifth round to play 500 games and is one of 41 players from Massachusetts to achieve the feat. Based on Garland’s never-ending motor, he should be able to continue to produce plenty of must-watch moments at Rogers Arena over the next few years.
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