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When Justin Taylor signed with the Kalamazoo Wings back in 2010, he had no idea that he would one day write several new chapters in the franchises storied history book,let alone be playing for the same team for 12 years. “In this league it doesn’t happen,” Taylor said of his longevity with the K-Wings. “Most players usually stay for three or four years. In my case, it’s been over a decade.”
As the years went by, Taylor, 33, started inching closer and closer to long-standing milestones held by K-Wings greats from years gone by, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Taylor.
“Obviously, when you are (somewhere) for an extended period of time, you think you are going to get close to certain things, games played, goals, points and all that,” Taylor said.
While he thought about it from time to time, Taylor said that it was others, specifically fans, who kept an eye on the stats more than he did.
“It’s other people saying, ‘oh did you know, did you know’, so it’s nice that the fans keep track,” Taylor said. “It keeps me humble and keeps them excited for things in Kalamazoo.”
Taylor owns the franchise record for games played in Kalamazoo (629 and growing), is just 10 points away from becoming the all-time points leader and is two assists away from 5th all-time. Taylor also became the 12th player in ECHL history to play in 600 ECHL games.
Taylor added another impressive accomplishment last week when he moved past Kevin Schamehorn and Mike Wanchuk to become the K-Wings all-time career goal leader with 240 goals (and counting).
The achievements with the K-Wings almost didn’t happen, however, as Taylor was traded during the 2012-13 season. Not once, but twice. According to Taylor, two things led to the trade: a slow start and the K-Wings’ need for a defenseman. “I was the bounty,” Taylor added with a laugh.
Taylor was dealt to the Trenton Titans. After playing 23 games there, he was traded again, this time to the Idaho Steelheads. “I wasn’t aware that I was part of a three-team trade, and they were just kind of waiting for the other player to get healthy before he was traded,” Taylor said.
The move to Idaho ended well for the Mindemoya, Ontario native, as he and the Steelheads reached the Conference Finals that season, giving Taylor solid playoff experience and self-reflection. It gave me time to continue to grow as a player,” Taylor said. “I realized that you can’t take shifts off or days off. It kind of brought me back to reality.
When the season came to an end, Taylor got a call from his former coach, Nick Bootland. “He (Bootland) told me that it was just part of the job and that he still wanted me and that I was a big part of the team,” Taylor recalled. Taylor happily agreed to return to the organization that had traded him away several months before. “He (Bootand) knew the value I could bring, and I knew the value of the Kalamazoo Wings to hold me accountable for everything.”
Once back with the K-Wings, Taylor started, unknowingly, chasing the record books. In his first season back, he scored 20 goals and added 24 assists. The road to his success hasn’t been easy, however.
During a playoff game in 2017, Taylor suffered an horrific facial injury when a deflected puck hit Taylor under the visor, an injury that didn’t just end his season, but came close to ending his career and causing the loss of his vision in his left eye in the process.
Taylor battled back and returned to the ice the next season, racking up 35 goals and 21 assists, as well as a call-up to the AHL Utica Comets. The following year Taylor suffered a season- ending knee injury. Taylor tore into the 2018-19 season by scoring 21 goals and 6 assists in just 35 games before the injury sidelined him. Like a phoenix, Taylor again rose from the ashes to take the ice again the following season. In 49 games with the K-Wings, Taylor poured in 20 goals and 19 assists and played seven games for the Comets in the AHL.
Then, COVID. Season over.
With the K-Wings sitting out the 2020-21 season, Taylor signed with the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL.
This leads us back to the present. Taylor returned to the K-Wings for the 2021-22 season, in which, for the first time in his career, he played in every single game, scoring 24 goals and adding 30 assists. As the latest milestone approached, while Taylor thought about it, he was more focused on the team, not himself.
“You think about it,” Taylor said, “but I just try to worry about getting the two points for the team.”
He left worrying to his family and fans as to when he would finally reach that elusive goal. “The chances were there and I knew it would come, whether the first game, tenth game or game 72. Eventually it would happen and the puck would start going in the net for that opportunity,” Taylor added.
And it did. On Saturday, November 26, Taylor scored two goals against the Indy Fuel to tie and then take over the record as the K-Wings All-Time Goal Scoring Leader with 240 goals.
“It was definitely a big weight off the shoulders, ya know, that cloud of wanting to do it was finally gone,” Taylor said.
Taylor tipped his hat to the players he passed. “It is a big milestone that hasn’t been broken in over 30 years,” Taylor said. “I give my respects to Shammy and Wanchuk for holding that record for so long”.
Taylor is glad his hockey travels led him to (and back to) Kalamazoo.
“It’s exhilarating coming back and wearing the K-Wings uniform every year and being a part of the tremendous hockey culture in Kalamazoo,” Taylor said.Even though Kalamazoo is one of the smaller markets in the league, Taylor enjoys what the fans bring to the table.
“You see them at the rink every day and they are always proud of the K-Wings,” Taylor said, “and I’m just happy to be a part of that.”
Off the ice, Taylor keeps busy with his hockey business “Taylored Skills Hockey” and working with Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association. For Taylor, giving back to the sport that has given him so much is one of the main reasons he gives of his time. Another is watching the younger generation blossom on the ice.
“I take the skills and the coaching I have been given and relate it to the young players and youth that want to try to achieve the same type of hockey goals,” Taylor said. “I get text messages from parents that say ‘that stuff you worked on with my child, he’s in a game and they are asked where did you learn that, and he says, Oh, Justin and I worked on that.” Taylor said.
With 13 years of professional hockey under his belt, Taylor said he has no idea when he will stop lacing up the skates. By the sounds of it, it won’t be anytime soon.
“There is still a fire in my belly,” Taylor said. “I want to win a championship in Kalamazoo. I want to hoist that trophy over my head and bring that excitement and fulfillment into my hockey career.”
Reflecting on the dream of all young hockey players, Taylor added, “You start as a young player saying that you want to be in the NHL, but obviously things don’t work out for every hockey player, and that is where I am,” Taylor said. “I want to be a champion of this league.”
By: Mark C. McGlothlen
