Carnegie's hockey career began in 1938 with the
Toronto Young Rangers and continued in the early 1940s with the Timmins Buffalo-Ankerite Bisons, a team that played in mining towns in northern
Ontario and
Quebec. From 1944–45 to 1947-48 he played for
Shawinigan and
Sherbrooke of the semi-professional Quebec Provincial League and was named most valuable player in 1946, 1947 and 1949. During those years with the Bisons and in Quebec, he played alongside his brother Ossie. In 1948, Carnegie was given a tryout with the
New York Rangers and offered a contract worth $2,700 to play in the Rangers' minor league system. However, he was offered less money than he was earning in the Quebec league and turned down all three offers made by the Rangers organization during his tryout. Returning to Canada to play in the
Quebec Senior Hockey League, he played for Sherbrooke St. Francis and the
Quebec Aces before moving to Ontario to play a single season with the Owen Sound Mercuries of the Ontario Senior Hockey Association. During his years in the Quebec Senior League, Carnegie played with future
Montreal Canadiens star
Jean Beliveau and was coached by
Punch Imlach.
Facing racism As a black man playing hockey in the 1940s and 1950s, Carnegie endured his share of racism. In one notorious 1938 incident,
Conn Smythe, the owner of the
Toronto Maple Leafs, is alleged to have commented to the effect that he would accept Carnegie onto the team if he were white, or that he would pay $10,000 to anyone who could turn Carnegie white. ==Retirement==