Chris Taylor (ice hockey)
Chris Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 6, 1972 Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Ice hockey player, coach |
| Years active | 1990–2011 (player), 2011–present (coach) |
| Known for | Played in NHL for New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres; coaching roles including head coach of Rochester Americans and assistant coach for Seattle Kraken |
Chris Taylor (born March 6, 1972) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken in the National Hockey League (NHL). Throughout his playing career, Taylor appeared in 149 NHL contests representing the New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, and Buffalo Sabres. In 2017, he took on the role of head coach for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League, the primary affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. He also briefly assumed interim assistant coaching responsibilities with the Sabres in 2019 before returning to lead Rochester until June 2020.
Playing career
Taylor distinguished himself during his junior years with the London Knights, where he set a franchise record for most points at 378—a mark later exceeded by Corey Perry. Selected 27th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, he competed in the NHL with the Islanders, Bruins, and Sabres, often transitioning between major league play and minor league assignments. Prior to the 2006–07 campaign, Taylor signed with the Frankfurt Lions competing in Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga. On July 16, 2009, he secured a two-year deal with the Rochester Americans of the AHL, a club he had previously represented from 1999 through 2006 while linked to Buffalo.
Coaching career
Taylor began his coaching tenure on August 31, 2011, when he was appointed development coach for Rochester’s 2011–12 season roster. He was subsequently elevated to assistant coach but was not retained after June 2016. Following this, he joined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins—the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins—as an assistant coach in August 2016.
On June 30, 2017, Taylor was promoted to head coach of the Rochester Americans. Prior to the start of the 2019–20 season, he was temporarily called up as an interim assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres during Don Granato’s medical absence. On June 16, 2020, Taylor was released from his coaching position along with other staff members; during his three seasons at Rochester’s helm, he compiled a record of 116 wins, 65 losses, and 33 overtime defeats.
Taylor was hired as an assistant coach by the New Jersey Devils on October 23, 2020. Later, on June 17, 2025, he joined the Seattle Kraken staff as an assistant coach.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1988–89 | London Knights | OHL | 62 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 52 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 15 | ||
| 1989–90 | London Knights | OHL | 66 | 45 | 60 | 105 | 60 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 16 | ||
| 1990–91 | London Knights | OHL | 65 | 50 | 78 | 128 | 50 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 6 | ||
| 1991–92 | London Knights | OHL | 66 | 48 | 74 | 122 | 57 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 9 | ||
| 1992–93 | Capital District Islanders | AHL | 77 | 19 | 43 | 62 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1993–94 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | IHL | 79 | 21 | 20 | 41 | 38 | — |— |— |— | ||||||
| 1994–95 | New York Islanders | NHL | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |— |— |— | ||||||
| 1994–95 | Denver Grizzlies | IHL | 78 | 38 | 48 | 86 | 47 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 10 | ||
| 1995–96 | New York Islanders | NHL | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| 1995–96 | Utah Grizzlies | IHL | 50 | 18 | 23 | 41 | 60 | 22 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 26 | ||
| 1996–97 | New York Islanders | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 1996–97 | Utah Grizzlies | IHL | 71 | 27 | 40 | 67 | 24 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1997–98 | Utah Grizzlies (IHL) |
79||28||56||84||66 |
4||0||2||2||6 | |||||||||||
| Providence Bruins | AHL | 21 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 6 | — |— |— |— | |||||||
| 1998–99 NHL season | Boston Bruins | NHL | 37 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 12 | — |— |— |— | ||||||
| 1998–99 IHL season | Las Vegas Thunder | IHL | 14 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 2 | — |— |— |— | ||||||
| 1999–00 AHL season | Rochester Americans | AHL | 49 | 21 | 28 | 49 | 21 | — |— |— |— | ||||||
| 1999–00 NHL season | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2000–01 AHL season | Rochester Americans | AHL | 45 | 20 | 24 | 44 | 25 | |||||||
| 2000–01 NHL season | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |||||||
| 2001–02 AHL season | Rochester Americans | AHL | 77 | 21 | 45 | 66 | 66 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 00 | ||
| 2002–03 AHL season | Rochester Americans | AHL | 61 | 12 | 55 | 67 | 44 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2002–03 NHL season | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |||||||
NHL totals |
149 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 48 | 2 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 2 | ||||
Coaching record
| Team | Season | Regular Season | Postseason | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Standing | Outcome | ||
| ROC | 2017–18 | 76 | 37 | 22 | - | 17 | 91 | 3rd, North Division | Eliminated in First Round |
| ROC | 2018–19 | 76 | 46 | 23 | - | 7 | 99 | 2nd, North Division | Eliminated in First Round |
| ROC | 2019-20 | 62 | 33 | 20 | - | 9 | 75 | 2nd, North Division | Season Ended Prematurely |
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| AHL | ||
| Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award | 2004–05 | |