Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Merrill moved to Ottawa at an early age. By 1907, Merrill was playing senior-level hockey with the Ottawa Seconds of the Ottawa City Hockey League. The following year he also started playing for the Ottawa Cliffsides and was a member of their Allan Cup-winning squad. By 1912, he joined the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey Association (NHA). He stayed with the Senators until his retirement in 1920.