Cody Ceci (born December 21, 1993) is a Canadian professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
defenceman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the l ...
for the
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL). He previously played for the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...
,
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...
,
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
,
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
, and
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
.
After playing junior-age ice hockey with the
Ottawa 67's
The Ottawa 67's are a major junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, that plays in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Established during Canada's centennial year of 1967 and named in honour of this, the 67's currently play thei ...
, Ceci was selected 15th overall in the
2012 NHL entry draft by the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...
. He made his NHL debut in the
2013–14 season after playing for the Senators'
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL) affiliate
Binghamton Senators
The Binghamton Senators were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2002 to 2017. Nicknamed the B-Sens, they played in Binghamton, New York, at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena. The B-Sens w ...
.
Early life
Born and raised in
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
, Ceci is the son of former
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
receiver and 1984
Vanier Cup
The Vanier Cup () is the trophy awarded annually to the champion Canadian football team in U Sports, the governing body for university sports in Canada. The U Sports football champion is determined in a one-game playoff (the Vanier Cup game), pl ...
MVP
Parri Ceci. He has a younger brother, Cole, who was a goaltender for the
Oshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor (commercial), sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. ...
of the
OHL. Cole currently plays for the
Evansville Thunderbolts of the
SPHL
The SPHL (formerly the Southern Professional Hockey League) is a professional ice hockey independent minor league based in Huntersville, North Carolina, with teams located primarily in the southeastern United States as well as Illinois and India ...
. He also has an older sister Chelsea.
Cody attended St. Peter Catholic high school in Orleans, Ottawa at the age of 13 through 18 and graduated there in 2011, which he then went to attend
Lakefield College School
Lakefield College School (sometimes called LCS, The Grove or simply Lakefield) is a private day and boarding school located north of the village of Lakefield, Ontario. It was the first Canadian member of Round Square, an international affiliatio ...
, a private boarding institution just north of
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough ...
. After being drafted, Ceci joined the
Ottawa 67's
The Ottawa 67's are a major junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, that plays in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Established during Canada's centennial year of 1967 and named in honour of this, the 67's currently play thei ...
.
While playing with the Ottawa 67's, Ceci attended
Carleton University
Carleton University is an English-language public university, public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to se ...
.
Playing career
Junior

With the Ottawa 67's in
2011–12, Ceci finished second in scoring amongst all OHL defenceman with 60 points (behind
Dougie Hamilton of the
Niagara Ice Dogs with 72 points). So eager was Ottawa Senators' GM
Bryan Murray to select Ceci that he contacted three different teams early in the 2012 draft in an effort to move up and take the defenceman before another team could. "I honestly never thought he would be available at 15," said Murray. On August 23, 2012, Ceci signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Senators.
On January 8, 2013, in an effort to overtake the
London Knights
The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League. The Knights started out in 1965 as the London Nationals but changed to their ...
in the OHL's Western Conference, the Owen Sound Attack obtained Ceci from the 67's. Ceci did not have NHL callup rights and was thus able to finish the season in junior. Once the Attack were eliminated, Ceci was called up to finish the season in the
AHL with the Binghamton Senators, playing in the team's final three games of the regular season. Paired on defence with team captain
Mark Borowiecki, he scored his first professional point in his second game with Binghamton and scored his first professional goal a day later in the season finale.
Professional
Ottawa Senators
In October 2013, Ceci was assigned to the Binghamton Senators after training camp. After a suspension to Senators defenceman
Jared Cowen, Ceci was called up to Ottawa in December and played his first game in the NHL on December 12, 2013, in Ottawa against the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...
, a 2–1 win for Ottawa. Two games later, on December 16, 2013, at 3:59 of overtime against goaltender
Brian Elliott of the
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
, Ceci scored his first NHL goal, to win the game 3–2.
He was the first teenager in NHL history to score his first NHL goal in overtime. At the beginning of the
2016–17 season, Ceci signed a two-year, $5.6 million contract extension.
In the 2016–17 season he made 2.25 million and in the 2017–18 season he made 3.35 million.

On August 3, 2018, Ceci agreed to a one-year, $4.3 million contract with the Senators after filing for salary arbitration.
Toronto Maple Leafs
On July 1, 2019, Ceci was traded by the Senators, along with
Ben Harpur, Aaron Luchuk and a
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
third-round draft pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for
Connor Brown,
Michael Carcone and
Nikita Zaitsev. Ceci soon agreed to sign a one-year, $4.5 million contract extension with the Maple Leafs on July 4, 2019. He scored his first goal as a Toronto Maple Leaf on October 4, 2019, in a 4–1 road win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, after suffering an ankle injury in February, the Leafs placed Ceci on injured reserve until March 6, 2020.
Pittsburgh Penguins
On October 17, 2020, Ceci signed as a free agent to a one-year, $1.25 million contract with the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
.
Edmonton Oilers
On July 28, 2021, Ceci signed as a free agent to a four-year, $13 million contract with the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
. The signing was initiated by the loss of Oilers defenceman
Adam Larsson to the
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The t ...
expansion team, which left a defensive role to be filled by the team. In his first year with the Oilers, he managed 5 goals 23 assists during the regular season. During the team's deep run in the
2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, Ceci notably scored the series-clinching goal in Game 7 of the first round series against the
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...
. The Oilers were eventually swept and lost 4–0 in the Western Conference Final series by the top seeded and eventual Stanley Cup champion
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...
.
San Jose Sharks
On August 18, 2024, Ceci was traded to the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
along with a
2025 third-round pick in return for defenceman
Ty Emberson.
Dallas Stars
On February 1, 2025, Ceci, along with
Mikael Granlund, was traded to the
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars ...
in exchange for a first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick in the
2025 NHL entry draft. Due to scheduling, Ceci played 85 regular season games combined between the Sharks and the Stars, becoming only the ninth player in NHL history to play at least 85 games.
International play
On November 18, 2009, Ceci was selected by
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada (which merged with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1994) is the national governing body of ice hockey and ice sledge hockey in Canada. It is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation and controls the majority ...
to compete in the
2010 World U-17 Hockey Challenge for Team Ontario. After the season concluded, Ceci was one of 15 OHL players invited to attend Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp on June 11, 2010. He would again qualify to compete for Team Canada during the 2011
IIHF World U18 Championship
The IIHF U18 World Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-18 ice hockey teams from around the world. The tournament is usually played in April and is organized according to a sys ...
.
On April 11, 2016, Ceci was one of 18 players selected by
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada (which merged with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1994) is the national governing body of ice hockey and ice sledge hockey in Canada. It is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation and controls the majority ...
to compete on
Team Canada at the
2016 World Championships. He won a gold medal with the team in his senior debut.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honours
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ceci, Cody
1993 births
Living people
21st-century Canadian sportsmen
Binghamton Senators players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Dallas Stars players
Edmonton Oilers players
Ice hockey people from Ottawa
NHL first-round draft picks
Ottawa 67's players
Ottawa Senators draft picks
Ottawa Senators players
Owen Sound Attack players
Pittsburgh Penguins players
San Jose Sharks players
Toronto Maple Leafs players