WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The last time defenseman Jeff Taylor was a rookie, so to speak, things turned out pretty well.
The New York native won an NCAA Frozen Four championship with Union College as a freshman in 2014 and skated alongside future NHL players Daniel Carr and Shayne Gostisbehere, now in his second season with the Philadelphia Flyers.
“To just spend six, seven months with a team and end up winning the ultimate goal is incredible,” Taylor told DKPittsburghSports.com Thursday. “Best hockey moment of my life.”
But if the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are able to continue their torrid pace into the Calder Cup Playoffs, perhaps Taylor will soon have a new No. 1.
The 22-year-old signed a two-year entry-level contract with Pittsburgh on Monday and reported to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an amateur tryout agreement. He made his AHL debut Friday in a 3-1 loss to Springfield.
But with veteran defenseman Stuart Percy out for the season following surgery and call-ups to Pittsburgh becoming the norm, Taylor could provide valuable depth on the blue line with his quickness and passing ability.
