Cody Ceci 📖 Wikipedia

Born and raised in Ottawa, Ceci is the son of former Canadian Football League receiver and 1984 Vanier Cup MVP Parri Ceci.^[1] His younger brother Cole was a goaltender for the Oshawa Generals of the OHL,^[2] and currently plays for the Romford Raiders of the NIHL He also has an older sister Chelsea.^[3]

Cody attended St. Peter Catholic High School in Orleans, Ottawa, at ages 13 through 18 and graduated there in 2011, which he then went to attend Lakefield College School, a private boarding institution just north of Peterborough, Ontario.^[4] After being drafted, Ceci joined the Ottawa 67's.^[5] While playing with the Ottawa 67's, Ceci attended Carleton University.^[3][5]

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).^[6] 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.^[7] On August 23, 2012, Ceci signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Senators.^[8]

On January 8, 2013, in an effort to overtake the London Knights 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.^[9] 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.^[10]

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, 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,^[11] Ceci scored his first NHL goal, to win the game 3–2.^[12] He was the first teenager in NHL history to score his first NHL goal in overtime.^[13] At the beginning of the 2016–17 season, Ceci signed a two-year, $5.6 million contract extension.^[14][15] In the 2016–17 season, he made $2.25 million; in the 2017–18 season, he made $3.35 million.^[14]

On August 3, 2018, Ceci agreed to a one-year, $4.3 million contract with the Senators after filing for salary arbitration.

On July 1, 2019, Ceci was traded by the Senators, along with Ben Harpur, Aaron Luchuk and a 2020 third-round draft pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Connor Brown, Michael Carcone and Nikita Zaitsev.^[16] Ceci soon agreed to sign a one-year, $4.5 million contract extension with the Maple Leafs on July 4, 2019.^[17] 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.^[18] However, after suffering an ankle injury in February, the Leafs placed Ceci on injured reserve^[19] until March 6, 2020.^[20]

On October 17, 2020, Ceci signed as a free agent to a one-year, $1.25 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.^[21]

On July 28, 2021, Ceci signed as a free agent to a four-year, $13 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers. The signing was initiated by the loss of Oilers defenceman Adam Larsson to the Seattle Kraken, which left a defensive role to be filled.^[22] In his first year with the Oilers, he managed five goals and 23 assists during the regular season.^[23] During the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, Ceci scored the series-clinching goal in game seven of the first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings.^[24] The Oilers were swept in the Western Conference Final series by the top-seeded and eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.^[25]

On August 18, 2024, Ceci was traded to the San Jose Sharks along with a 2025 third-round pick in return for defenceman Ty Emberson.^[26]

On February 1, 2025, Ceci, with Mikael Granlund, was traded to the Dallas Stars for a first-round pick and conditional third-round pick in the 2025 NHL entry draft.^[27] Due to scheduling, Ceci played 85 regular-season games combined between the Sharks and the Stars, becoming the ninth player in NHL history to play at least 85 games.^[28]

As a free agent, Ceci signed a four-year, $18 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings on July 1, 2025.^[29]

On November 18, 2009, Ceci was selected by Hockey Canada to compete in the 2010 World U-17 Hockey Challenge for Team Ontario.^[30] 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.^[31] He would again qualify to compete for Team Canada during the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championship.^[32]

On April 11, 2016, Ceci was one of 18 players selected by Hockey Canada to compete on Team Canada at the 2016 World Championships.^[33] He won a gold medal with the team in his senior debut.^[34]

Ceci owns two French Bulldogs named Zeus and Hugo^[35] In 2024, while Ceci played for the Oilers, Hugo ran in the team's annual "Ruff Ruff Relay" and won first place in the competition.^[36] Ceci is one-quarter Filipino descent.^[37]

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or ESPN.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database