Taylor back for 11th season with K-Wings

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Kalamazoo Wings, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, announced that veteran forward Justin Taylor has signed a contract to return to Kalamazoo for an 11th season.

Taylor, 31, compiled 39 points (20g-19a) in 49 games for the K-Wings in 2019-20. He also skated in seven games during a month-long American Hockey League stint with the Utica Comets, the longest such AHL stint in his 10-year pro career.

The Mindemoya, Ontario set the K-Wings’ franchise games played record by skating in his 496th game Oct. 23, 2019 and finished the 2019-20 season with 542. Taylor is also third in team history in goals (213), just 26 behind leader Kevin Schamehorn (239) and fifth in points (403), just 71 behind Schamehorn (474).

The 2007 sixth round pick of the Washington Capitals first joined Kalamazoo as a rookie in 2010-11 and has put together eight different 20-goal seasons and six 40-point seasons. Taylor set career highs with the K-Wings in 2016-17 with 61 points (31g, 29a) in 70 games. He has also appeared in 25 AHL games between Bridgeport, Utica and San Antonio.

In addition to his time with Kalamazoo, Taylor has also seen ECHL time with Trenton and Idaho, and enters the 2020-21 season tied for 17th in league history with 590 games played, 19th with 223 goals and tied for 53rd with 422 points. With 10 more games played, he would become just the 12th player in ECHL history to reach the 600-games played plateau.