Amateur As a youth, Upshall played in the 1996 and 1997
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a
minor ice hockey team from
Fort McMurray. Upshall played with the
Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the
AJHL in 1999–2000 as a sixteen-year-old. In 52 games, Upshall had 26 goals and 52 points, helping the Oil Barons to the
Royal Bank Cup. In five games at the Royal Bank Cup, Upshall had two goals and six points, helping the Oil Barons to the championship. Upshall joined the
Kamloops Blazers of the
WHL in
2000–01. Upshall had a memorable rookie season, scoring 42 goals and 87 points in 70 games, helping Kamloops to the playoffs. In four playoff games, Upshall had two assists. After the season, he was named to the
WHL All-Rookie Team, the
CHL All-Rookie Team, and won the
Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year in the WHL, as well as the
CHL Rookie of the Year. Upshall had another very solid season with the Blazers in
2001–02, as he had 32 goals and 83 points in 61 games, followed by a goal and three points in four playoff games. Upshall also played for Canada at the
2002 World Juniors, where he had three goals and six points in seven games, helping the Canadians to the silver medal. After beginning the
2002–03 season with the
Nashville Predators, Upshall was sent back to Kamloops on November 7, 2002. He then scored 25 goals and 56 points in 42 games with the Blazers. In six playoff games, Upshall had two assists. Upshall once again represented his country at the
2003 World Juniors. Serving as team captain, Upshall recorded four goals and five points en route to a second straight silver medal.
Professional Nashville Predators Upshall appeared in eight games with the
Nashville Predators in
2002–03, where he scored a goal. He was then sent back his junior hockey team, the
Kamloops Blazers. After his junior season was over, the Predators assigned Upshall to the
Milwaukee Admirals of the
AHL, where in two games, he had a goal, followed by going pointless in six playoff games. In
2003–04, Upshall had an injury plagued season, appearing in 31 games with the Admirals, scoring 13 goals and 24 points. Upshall also had a brief stint with the Predators in the
NHL, where he had an assist in seven games. Back with Milwaukee for the playoffs, Upshall had three goals in eight games, as the Admirals won the 2004
Calder Cup. Upshall spent the entire
2004–05 with the Admirals, as Upshall had 19 goals and 46 points in 62 games, followed by two goals and four points in five playoff games. Upshall spent a majority of the
2005–06 season with the
Nashville Predators, as he scored eight goals and 24 points in 48 games with the team. Upshall also appeared in two playoff games with Nashville, getting no points. He also appeared in 23 games with Milwaukee in
2005–06, scoring 17 goals and 33 points. In 14 playoff games with the Admirals, Upshall had six goals and 16 points. Upshall began the
2006–07 splitting time between Milwaukee and Nashville. In five games with the Admirals, Upshall had an assist, while in 14 games with the Predators, Upshall had two goals and three points. On February 15, 2007, the Predators traded Upshall,
Ryan Parent, as well as the Predators' first and third round draft picks in the
2007 NHL entry draft to the
Philadelphia Flyers for
Peter Forsberg.
Philadelphia Flyers Upshall joined a rebuilding
Philadelphia Flyers club to finish the
2006–07 season, and in 18 games with the team, he had six goals and 13 points. Upshall became a full-time NHL player in
2007–08, as he scored 14 goals and 30 points in 61 games with the Flyers. In 17 playoff games, Upshall had three goals and seven points, as the Flyers lost to the
Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals. Upshall became a fan favorite in Philadelphia. Upshall had a slow start to the
2008–09 season, as in 55 games with Philadelphia, he had seven goals and 21 points. On March 4, 2009, the Flyers traded Upshall and a second round draft pick in the
2011 NHL entry draft to the
Phoenix Coyotes for
Daniel Carcillo.
Phoenix Coyotes and Columbus Upshall scored a goal in his first game with the
Phoenix Coyotes, and finished the
2008–09 season with eight goals and 13 points in 19 games with Phoenix. After the season, Upshall played for Canada at the 2009
World Hockey Championship, where he had an assist in eight games. In 49 games with the Coyotes in
2009–10, Upshall had 18 goals and 32 points. Due to injuries, Upshall wasn't able to play with the team in the playoffs. Upshall returned to Phoenix in
2010–11, where he had 16 goals and 27 points in 61 games. On February 28, 2011, the Coyotes traded Upshall and
Sami Lepisto to the
Columbus Blue Jackets for
Rostislav Klesla and
Dane Byers.
Florida Panthers Upshall signed a four-year contract worth $14 million with the
Florida Panthers on July 1, 2011. During his first season with the Panthers in
2011–12, Upshall only skated in 26 games as he was plagued by both a hip injury and sports hernia surgery respectively. Upshall on was only able to play in 27 games the following season, mainly due to an ankle injury.
St. Louis Blues Upshall attended training camp with the St. Louis Blues on a professional tryout contract ahead of the
2015–16 season. Upshall earned a contract with the club, agreeing to a one-year, two-way contract on October 5 worth $700,000. On June 22, 2016, the Blues re-signed Upshall to a one-year, $900,010 contract. In the
2016–17 season, Upshall improved upon his offensive numbers with the Blues, providing 10 goals and 18 points in 73 regular season games. The Blues chose not to re-sign Upshall, making him an unrestricted free agent. On September 8, 2017, the
Vancouver Canucks signed Upshall to a professional tryout. Upshall was later released from his PTO with the Canucks after the Blues suffered a rash of injuries. On September 30, the Blues signed Upshall to a professional tryout. The following day, the Blues signed him to a one-year, $800,000 contract for the
2017–18 season. Returning to play alongside
Kyle Brodziak, Upshall found a regular role on the checking lines of the Blues, registering 7 goals and 19 points in 63 games. In the off-season, Upshall spent the summer as an unsigned free agent. He agreed to a professional tryout contract with his favorite childhood team, the
Edmonton Oilers, on August 19, 2018. He was then dropped by Edmonton on September 24, failing to appear in a single preseason game. After sitting out for the duration of the
2018–19 season while rehabbing a knee injury, Upshall was signed to a professional tryout contract by the
Dallas Stars on August 26, 2019. The team released him from his tryout on September 22.
Switzerland On October 30, it was reported that Upshall signed a two-month contract with
HC Ambrì-Piotta of the
National League (NL) in
Switzerland; the contract was confirmed by the club on November 4. ==Retirement==