Justin Bailey

Justin Bailey
Born	(1995-07-01) July 1, 1995 Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Professional ice hockey forward
Known for	Playing in the NHL and AHL with multiple teams including Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks organizations

Justin Bailey (born July 1, 1995) is a professional ice hockey forward from the United States, currently signed with the San Diego Gulls in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Early life

Born in Buffalo, New York and raised in nearby Williamsville, New York, Bailey grew up in an apartment complex shared by several players from the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). His father, Carlton Bailey, was a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League (NFL) and played a role in the team's appearance at Super Bowl XXVI in 1992. Following his parents’ early separation, Bailey primarily lived with his mother, Karen Buscaglia, while maintaining occasional contact with his father.

Bailey’s minor hockey journey began with the Buffalo Regals competing in the Midwest Elite Hockey League (MEHL). Although a shoulder injury limited him to just 22 games during the 2010–11 season, he managed to tally 13 goals and nine assists. His performance helped propel the Regals to the state championship final against the Long Island Royals and caught the attention of coach Pat LaFontaine due to his combination of size and skill.

Buffalo Sabres

In the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Bailey was chosen 52nd overall in the second round by his hometown team, the Buffalo Sabres. He inked a three-year entry-level contract with Buffalo on November 2, 2014. Bailey was called up from the AHL’s Rochester Americans on February 10, 2016, and made his NHL debut the following day. After a short reassignment back to Rochester on February 18, he was recalled again following an injury to Ryan O'Reilly. On January 3, 2017, Bailey recorded his first NHL goal against Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers.

During the 2017–18 season, Bailey received a one-game suspension for delivering a high hit to Reid McNeil of the Syracuse Crunch in March. Before serving this suspension, he was called up to Buffalo’s NHL roster on March 14, 2018. Upon returning to Rochester later that month on March 27, after appearing in five NHL games, he served his suspension.

Philadelphia Flyers

On January 17, 2019, Bailey was traded by Buffalo to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Taylor Leier. Philadelphia assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, for evaluation regarding his potential NHL role. He was recalled on February 10 amid rumors that he might replace Wayne Simmonds if Simmonds was dealt before the February 25 trade deadline. After Simmonds was traded to the Nashville Predators, Bailey found it difficult to secure a permanent NHL position and spent most of his time with Lehigh Valley. Between February 10 and April 11, he transitioned between Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley ten times. His last recall occurred on March 20; he concluded the season having played 11 games for Philadelphia and 17 for Lehigh Valley. The Flyers chose not to tender him a qualifying offer after the season ended, rendering him an unrestricted free agent.

Vancouver Canucks

On July 4, 2019, Bailey agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with the Vancouver Canucks. He was promoted from the Utica Comets on January 30, 2020, after Tyler Motte sustained an injury, appearing in two NHL contests prior to the suspension of the 2019–20 season. Bailey participated in only three games during the 2020–21 season before a shoulder injury on February 11, 2021, necessitated surgery and ended his season prematurely.

Edmonton Oilers

Following his free agency departure from the Canucks, Bailey inked a one-year AHL deal with the Bakersfield Condors on September 8, 2022. In the 2022–23 campaign, he tallied 10 points across his initial 16 games, which led to securing a one-year, two-way NHL contract with their parent club, the Edmonton Oilers, on January 6, 2023. Bailey spent the remainder of the season with the Condors, accumulating 32 points in 58 appearances.

San Jose Sharks

After concluding his contract with Edmonton, Bailey attended the San Jose Sharks' training camp in 2023 and subsequently signed a one-year agreement with their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, on October 12, 2023. With six goals and eleven points in sixteen games, he earned a one-year, two-way NHL contract with the Sharks on November 27, 2023. Due to injuries within the team, he was immediately recalled and made his debut that same day, assisting on the primary scoring play that secured a 2–1 win over the Washington Capitals. On June 30, 2024, Bailey extended his tenure by signing another one-year contract with San Jose.

Anaheim Ducks

During his second season with the Sharks organization, Bailey was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on January 22, 2025, in exchange for Pavol Regenda. Upon becoming a free agent at season’s conclusion, he agreed to a one-year contract with the Ducks' AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, on July 14, 2025.

Personal life

Bailey is the son of former Buffalo Bills linebacker Carlton Bailey and was raised primarily by his mother, Karen Buscaglia.

Regular season and playoffs

San Diego Gulls || AHL || 35 || 12 || 10 || 22 || 18 || — NHL totals !141 !10 !13 !23 !24 ! — ! — ! — ! — ! — | }

International

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2010–11	Buffalo Regals 16U AAA	T1EHL		12	4	1	5	0		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Long Island Royals 16U AAA	AYHL		22	21	13	34	52		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Indiana Ice	USHL		2	1	0	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Kitchener Rangers	OHL		57	17	19	36	34		10	1	2	3	4
2013–14	Kitchener Rangers	OHL		54	25	18	43	20		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Kitchener Rangers	OHL		35	22	19	41	32		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds	OHL		22	12	16	28	12		14	7	7	14	6
2015–16	Rochester Americans	AHL		70	20	25	45	16		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		8	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Rochester Americans	AHL		52	23	13	36	35		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		32	2	2	4	4		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Rochester Americans	AHL		37	10	5	15	28		3	2	0	2	0
2017–18	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		12	3	1	4	2
2018–19 AHL season	Rochester Americans	AHL		37	9	11	20	18		—	—	—	—	-                                                                          |-      |- |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|2018–19 NHL season	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	11	0	1	1	2	—	—	—	—	-|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|2019–20 AHL season	Utica Comets	AHL	53	28	19	47	39	—	—	—	—	-|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|2019–20 NHL season	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	2	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—	-|-2020–21 NHL season	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	3	0	0	0	2	—	—	—	—	- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|2021–22 AHL season	Abbotsford Canucks	AHL	30	15	12	27	20	—	—	—	—	- |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|2021–22 NHL season	Vancouver Canucks	NHL	14	0	0	0	6	—	—	—	—	- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|2022–23 AHL season	Bakersfield Condors	AHL	58	19	13	32	42	2	0	1	1	-|- |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|2023–24 AHL season	San Jose Barracuda	AHL	16	6	5	11	16	—	—	—	—	- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|2023–24 NHL season	San Jose Sharks	NHL	59	5	9	14	6	—	—	—	—	-|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|2024–25 AHL season	San Jose Barracuda || AHL || 33 || 7 || 7 || 14 || 26 || —	—	—	—
—	—	—

Year	Team	Tournament	Placement		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2012	United States	IH18	7th place		4	2	0	2	2
Junior career totals					4	2	0	2	2