As a youth, Whitney played in the 2002 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Boston Junior Eagles minor ice hockey team. After completing his collegiate career with the Boston College Eagles, Whitney signed a professional try-out contract with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League to end the 2010–11 season. On August 22, 2011, the Albany Devils signed Whitney as a free agent to an AHL contract. After two seasons with Albany, Whitney was rewarded with a NHL contract with Albany's parent affiliate, the New Jersey Devils. He signed a two-year entry level deal on May 2, 2013. During the 2013–14 season, on January 24, 2014 Whitney was called up to the New Jersey Devils to make his NHL debut against the Washington Capitals at the Prudential Center. On July 1, 2015, Whitney signed as a free agent with the New York Islanders on a one-year two-way contract. At the conclusion of the season, Whitney left the Islanders organization as a free agent. On July 1, 2016, he signed a one-year, two-way contract to join the Colorado Avalanche. After attending the Avalanche's 2016 training camp, Whitney was reassigned during the pre-season to AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage. As a veteran of the American League, Whitney was selected as the Rampage captain to begin the 2016–17 campaign. After a slow transition adjusting offensively, Whitney resumed his scoring proficiency in collecting 11 goals and 28 points in 55 games before he was traded at the NHL deadline by the Avalanche to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Brendan Ranford on March 1, 2017. As a free agent from the Coyotes in the off-season, Whitney agreed to sign a one-year AHL contract with the Hartford Wolf Pack on September 7, 2017. In the 2017-18 season, Whitney was selected as team captain for a second successive season in the AHL. In 40 games with the Wolf Pack, Whitney collected 19 points before on February 9, 2018, the Wolf Pack's parent club, the New York Rangers, traded Whitney to the Washington Capitals' AHL affiliate in the Hershey Bears. After completing his eighth professional season in the AHL and North America, Whitney opted to embark on a European career, agreeing to a two-year contract with Swedish club, Linköping HC of the SHL, on July 10, 2018.
