He’s a coffee connoisseur with a taste for adventure when it comes to the popular hot beverage. Whether he’s at home or on the road, Connor Carrick enjoys checking out the newest roaster spots or heading back to visit some of his old favourites.

The Toronto defenceman recently spoke with NHLPA.com and served up his Top 5 coffee roasters in North America.

Connor Carrick's top coffee spots

1. Taking flight

“Pilot Coffee here in Toronto – they’re the best. They do a great job. The trainers with the team introduced it to me. They have this one called the Ana Sora. It’s got a great strawberry flavour. It’s outstanding.

2. Boutique beans

“La Colombe is the first boutique-type coffee shop I ever found myself in. And I thought, ‘This stuff is pretty good.’ I really enjoy what they have there.”

3. Toast of the West Coast roast

“There’s a coffee shop in Gastown (Vancouver) called Revolver. They have all sorts of great selections out there. They carry about 20 high-end roasters all around North America. ”

4. Beantown beauty

“There’s a place in Boston called George Howell that I enjoy. We played there in the playoffs and I was able to go there every day. It was awesome. Those are the brewing parameters I use at home. The ratios for what they use in the shop are online. I just rinse, repeat on those.”

5. Prescription for the perfect cup

“There’s a place called Drug Store in Nashville. They serve a single serving of dark chocolate with your espresso. It’s really good. The cups are really cool and well designed. They also have a fine chocolate selection. They had a camel milk chocolate bar – never heard of that. That was super cool.”