Former Skipjacks center Tim Taylor tells Nestor about a beautiful life winning two Stanley Cups as a player and one as an executive now with the St. Louis Blues. A good life spent in hockey after learning his craft and struggling in Baltimore more than 30 years ago as a player in the AHL.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
year, play, player, tim taylor, game, tampa, team, baltimore, friends, hockey, grew, people, nhl, career, trots, detroit, drafted, thought, jersey, felt
00:01
W n s t, Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive. We are celebrating in the greatest way. 31 years of doing this it was 31 years ago December the 13th 1991 that I walked in the Wi th with the great Kenny Albert, saying, Nestor I’m going to do a show do you want to co host it and all these years later we’re gonna be celebrating over Costas on Thursday with a friend from the Maryland lottery we got away the Halloween holiday cash drop tickets. These are the new ones a slot a handful the Ravens wants to give away apparently is a whole bunch of holiday party is overcast is celebrating as well. We have G shock from the Go Go’s my pal John Allen. Some other great friends including the band milkshake will be joining us all the brought to you by our friends at Goodwill industry. So Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from them, as well as our friends at wind donation, you buy two you get two free 866 90 nation is the way to get them and I did it in summer 0% financing, it’s even a better deal than the deal that I got. So here’s the deal. For those you watching out on the podcast. I am wearing my skip jacks and this isn’t a real one. This was sort of a pasty falling apart when my real one was the Steve Sceptile 14 rotor in the read that I mailed to him by surprise last year for Christmas for him and his family to enjoy because I’ve been wearing it for 20 years. And Trotsky and I got together about a month ago to hear how his retirements going. And he said, Give me Give me your email address. Like I got some things like my dad, I found some things when I was cleaning my dad out. So this this thing arrives in the mail. I’m gonna hold the address down but it says be trots on it. And I knew well. There’s going to be something good in this thing. So inside of this thing, I opened it up and there is Trotsky’s first team the 9192 slippies on Ice they’re in a good looking white. Look at that Shaun Simpson good luck and he was back then. So I saw similar up in an audit with a Pearl Jam show a couple months ago and then I get the I get I get some of these programs from my dude Trotsky and lo and behold score program from October the 19th and 23rd against the great Maine mariners I assure you I covered these games for the Baltimore Evening Sun as the beat writer and this picture this good looking prospect number 25 Tim Taylor and number one in your scorecard force was on this and someone jumped in and it was Josh Rimer Jeff Rimmer son, who said I have Tim Taylor’s number and I said I should track down every Robin bawa every Tyler Larter every Chris Felix, and try to get them all along. But I’m going to start with number 25 The captain who went on to win two Stanley Cups, and they said great things didn’t come from the Baltimore Skipjacks they were wrong. He is now running personnel pro personnel for St. Louis Blues. I did not know this. I’m completely ignorant. Jim, how have you been? Dude, you dude had a good wife, young man, I would say
03:03
Yeah, well you know what? I built the foundation Hockey Foundation at a young age for in Baltimore. I spent four years there in the minors and it really collaborate how I turned out to be as a player I got to learn to play defense I do it from from Barry trots, especially with team play and defensive hockey is all about and I was able to have a good NHL career and be able to play 15 years NHL and play on two very good teams and win a Stanley Cup of 1997 Detroit Redwings and then obviously 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning and you know now my name got out again for a third time now with management with the St. Louis Blues. So yes, hockey’s been a real joy for me and really, it’s enlightened my life and it’s it’s who I am. So I appreciate everything hockey has given me
03:52
Well, let’s start at the beginning. Here. We are the same age you and me. And, you know, I came out and honest I covered Uber Jaco Skipjacks in the black and gold from the penguins and then the transition happened. You were and I went back and I looked at your bubble gum car Tim I you know, I did the old Ricky search and, and and I thought I knew you well, then, you know, I thought I reached a Tim Taylor, you’ll probably remember me. I mean, there were only me and Jimmy Jackson and George Taylor that were ever around the team. There weren’t a lot of reporters, the TV people really didn’t care much. There weren’t a lot of people in the building. I had already text Howard shear. Still one of my best friends that I met in Section 210 We sat together at every game while I covered you guys with a notebook. I sat in the stands, and I’ve kept these lifelong relationships obviously we Trotsky right and and some other people. And I looked at your stats and I said, you play here a long time you were here all four years. No wonder I knew you so well. I felt like I knew you so well. And the thing I remember about you as a player is you were the trusted guy on the ice because you did play both ends. And I don’t know whether it was a blessing or a curse that you You spent so much time in the minors and that the capital’s maybe never believed I know you have to tell me now as a as a grown up like me, how did all that happen because you led a very, very unique career being in one place in a big city in a minor league way. And then went on to this really, you got a glorious career as a player and his management, but I it felt for a little while, like you were gonna play for the Hershey bears for 10 years or be in at that level.
05:30
Yeah, and you know, it’s I have a lot of growing up to do to you know, I coming from junior hockey, I had a lot of success and leading goal scorer, every team I played for him. And then when I got some minors, it was a, it was just a different lifestyle, you know, they these guys had careers, these, this was their livelihood. And I it actually helped me grow up a lot and realizing that after three years or my fourth year, I think that’s when I really started to put the off ice workout in the summers together, and it really enhanced on the player, I was supposed to be what they drafted me to be like, so it was, you know, they dropped me as one player. And I really didn’t turn out to be that player until I left the organization. But because of them, that’s how I grew up and grew into the role. So you know, as much as I was disappointed, never got an opportunity with Washington. It all falls on me. You know, I didn’t put the work in early on. And as I realized later on in my career, if it probably cost me two years of NHL, hockey, if I would have put the work in usually two or three years is probably where you want to be in a minor league player not for so again, that all fell on me. And once I figured it out, then became a NHL player. And I was able to I think last longer because of all those things I learned and longevity was because I knew what I had to do to stay in the league. And everyday I did that. And unfortunately, I didn’t do it early on. And that was just that was me and having to grow into that lifestyle.
06:57
That’s fascinating for you to say that. I mean, first off, it’s you know, your humility was led by that I was talking to my wife about you, my wife and I met at an AHL hockey game in Manchester 20 years ago next month, it’ll be Yeah, and you know, and Gabby was the coach there then at that point, but so I don’t I remember you as being one of the more grown up kids in a way that. Look, there were girls, there was booze, there was the road there was I miss home there was I’m from a small town, there was I was a star on my junior team. You know, there was a whole mix. And then there were grown ups that were just trying to get up and get time in the NHL and get to come in. There was a whole mix of things happening for the organization was a very good capitals team. At that time that David drafted. You boil Correct?
07:43
Yeah, yeah. David drafted me and be quite honest. How I got out of the organization was David had let Brian Murray go, and Doug McLean, and they aren’t going to Detroit. And then after my fourth year, I was unrestricted free agent. And so I actually those guys are the ones that signed me in Detroit and gave me that opportunity. And from there, I kind of just took off and you’re right, Washington did have a good team. I was supposed to I remember I was drafted. They kind of compared me a little bit to like Dale Hunter, I was supposed to come in and kind of take his job. He was probably 30. But it was funny because you know, near the end of my career ending Joker Dale was still playing. So there was no room there. But they were a really good team. And really, at the end of the day, it taught me how to be a better player. And and really and the ebbs and flows of pro sports. It’s how you it’s not how fast you get knocked down. It’s how quickly you can get up and it taught me work ethic. It taught me perseverance. And I’ll never forget this my first time in in Detroit. Scotty Bowman was our coach and he said to me looking around I was I had won the HL scoring champs of your prior, and I call up for one game, I scored the only goal and so he sent me down after and starting next year. He says to me, he says, look around, he says, he says a Saturday night I said yeah, he goes, you want the scoring champs last week? Yep. Your MVP. The HL said, Yep. He goes out looks over and he says looks and it’s Divisoria because it can you beat him out? And I said no, he looks over. EGirl Ariana, and I can beat him up. So no, looks aurons Keith Primo? Can you beat him out? I said no. He goes, How about checking left? Where’s it perfect. That’s where I’m gonna start. So and, and really at the end of the day, I was prepared for that because of Washington and the way they style they played and really growing into to that role. So for the my career, I’m happy that I got to play those years. Obviously still, when you look back, you can do things differently. I wish I would did a couple years earlier, but I really owe a lot to the Washington Capitals because they’re the ones that really taught me how to play and taught me what it takes banjo player.
09:52
Well, I did think of you as one of the grown ups around there. And I did go back and I remember he was a ranger. I think I was you know I was somewhere where you’re running uniform and I was covering a game or something. And I saw you later in your career. You had one one. The second one. I mean, you say you want one with those Redwings teams in in hockey town. You were a nice part of that package is you just brought out with Scotty Bowman and they were expected to win two Stanley Cups every year, you know, then that error, right? And but the Tampa thing, that’s really an interesting thing, because that feels like a first in thing for you at that point. And now almost two decades later, I mean, that franchise became something and a lot of folks don’t know that they’re not from Tampa, if they’re not hockey people, how big the bolts are, how big lightning have become their I went down there for playoff games when Trump was coaching the caps number four or five, six years ago, and that that team and that thing that you were part of? I don’t know that a lot of people thought the Stanley Cup was even allowed to come to Tampa right at that. Oh, you know, and when
10:51
I got there, I actually was playing with a writer with the Rangers in my second year there. Actually, my first year, John Tortorella was our coach, and he got let go with the rest of the staff and Neil Smith and John McClure. He went to Tampa, and after my second year in New York, I got traded, and it was because of John Terrell, he became head coach in Tampa and wanted me there as a veteran player to help the young players, he felt that a good young team just want some veteran leadership there. So when I got frayed there, I remember talking to him thinking, Okay, I’m gonna go there for a little bit, and maybe, you know, get traded to another team contending team at the deadline, I’ll be a veteran player and kind of go and maybe help someone else. And we got there, Dave, and Chuck and I both were there at the same time. And we kind of grew with this team. And we didn’t know really what it was all about. And we started to get this persona of our team of good young team that was heading in the right, excuse me, heading the right direction. And Tortorella was a demanding coach. And he really thought this team was good, it should have been a lot better when and then it was after the first year. So heading in our second year, we were again labeled not to make the playoffs and we really put a push on and with his leadership as a coach and the leadership that we had some veteran players, the good young players, we kind of grew together as a team. And at the same time, the fan base grew with us.
12:09
I was gonna ask you that because I’m gonna skip Jack stirs. There are a whole lot of these and those of us who were there remembered fondly and like all that, but he want to text Howard a little while ago. I’m like, to amazing a few people were at the games, and I’m thinking what that might have done to a morale for a 19 year old kid coming down here off the farm and finding sort of an empty big city situation, like all of that, and I would think in Tampa from playing in the garden, and you were all over the league for a decade at that point. It Tampa, I would think didn’t have a whole lot of people and it was lonely down there hot outside and lonely inside probably right. Yeah. You know,
12:44
when I first like the first year was about 14,015. You know, what helped 22 was one of the biggest bigger buildings in the league at the time. And then, you know, we as we start to grow, we start and we had some rain on January that second year. We felt we can make the playoffs. We’re right in the thick of things and we didn’t make the playoffs and then we end up beaten Washington the first round the playoffs. It was the first time I liked the team, everyone around the playoffs. So we grew we lost the New Jersey Devils in game five, triple overtime. And never forget Marty St. Louis said to me sit in the back of the bus because that was so much fun. Again, I bet over 20 guys have played that series, there probably been maybe three or four guys actually had playoff experience. So so he was sitting back his first time. I just that was so much fun. Now if we had to play 82 games next year to get back to that level of play again. And the fan base was kind of like that, too. Like oh my god, this is fun for five weeks while last or four weeks late last wish it would have been a little bit longer and started the next year. Right from the get go. We lost the Stanley Cup Championship prior and our group felt that we’re gonna take another step. And we did and again, it wasn’t like we were a bad team and got hot in the playoffs. We were set we won the Eastern Conference Championship. We were the best team in the regular season US Conference. We are I think three or four points behind Detroit Redwings for the President’s Trophy. So we had a lot of conference going in the playoffs and obviously we just winter run by run and won the Stanley Cup and you know 22,000 People for game seven that year with 22,000 people inside the building completely sold out building obviously it’s game seven Stanley Cup Finals, but throughout the whole class, I’m sold every every game and. And outside. There’s 12,000 people to watch on a big screen. It was on the plaza right outside the building. So it was amazing. Right now we don’t have like the leafs or anyone that like that millions of people that follow the team, but the true fans that people that follow the team, they were all there and it was quite an experience and you know to go through it with our neighbors and people that we had two or three years of living beside and our community. It was such a community based championship. It was almost surreal and the fans kind of grew with the team and the team grew with the fans and the expectations were just play hard and gloat and do as best as you can. And every single one of our players obviously play to their capability but it was such a great run. A great ride and we feel as as Oh 14 That we really got to put a staple into to the Bay Area what hockey’s all about?
15:08
Well, I mean, all these years later, the baseball team has done pretty well. They’ve written books about it like all of that. And they, no one goes no one. You know, they we see that as Oriole fans here, because we play down there all the time, right. Tim Taylor is here, number 25. In the program, back in the day, I’m wearing my Skipjacks gear. I, you know, so I was in Maine. My net my show was syndicated at the turn of the century. And I was on in Portland, Maine. And this is after trots had left and gone to Nashville. And I was at a pizza place doing like a photo op thing as a radio host. And a guy comes up to me and says I was the equipment manager of the Maine mariners when the Portland mariners when the team left Baltimore, and he had every jersey and he said to me, pick whatever one you want and take it. I don’t you might have had your hits white ones, some red ones. So I said Steve Sceptile was always a guy I liked a lot. If you have his I’ll wear his and give me the red one because I always thought they were cool, or they were the roadies at the time. And I wore set those big ass jersey to hung off me because I was groomed for the badge. And we were friends on LinkedIn and know each other and he’s had some struggles written a book with Dougie Maclean has helped him out tremendously as well. You both mentioned then the dog still in my life very much. So when he’s not sassing me on Canadian television and I I get texts from people about it. But I you know, I sent him that jersey about maybe a year, year and a half goes during the plague. I just put in the box. I asked for his address because he had sent me his book, and the jersey just arrived and he was like, he sent me a note. Like all this stuff is family all into it. What do you remember? Like about the time because I mean, I was a kid covering you guys whether it was Terry. Doug Barry trots. Robbie hated me. Yeah, he ain’t. Yeah, that was. That was tough time for me. As the beat reporter, I was getting a little better with Barry Meldrick Belrose over in the in the Adirondack locker room and, and those guys in the bears coach. But for you at that time, you mentioned See, I said you were the grown up, you are most likely to be a class leader. I always thought you were most likely to go and have a decent NHL career and be what you were to some degree. But I didn’t realize I guess in retrospect that three, four year first year, it’s all here in the minors. Give it a go second year, it’s a try hard will get you I would think by the third fourth year, you might have maybe your Baltimore experiences and as romantic as I remember it.
17:31
Well, you know what it you know, I take a lot of responsibility for that because I wasn’t ready to take that next step what it’s like to be an NHL player, what you need to do every day to be an NHL player, there were times that I deserve to be called up and didn’t get called up and that that you know that put me behind the eight ball. I did not handle that the right way, I should have been more ticked off and pushed harder. But I kind of bet back I took a step back. And it was like, Oh, I don’t know what’s going on, I need to annual. So that’s what I say I take responsibility for that. Because you have to you have to actually show the organization that you’re the player that they hoped and wanted to draft. So I was a high draft pick a second round. And I just I felt I never got a chance there. So again, I should have handled it a different way and tried to push the envelope. But I did. And you know, I ran through some knee injuries. I think that third year, so I didn’t play a whole bunch. But then I kind of came on the show not fourth year, not good numbers, those first two years not to make guys score 25 and 30 goals those first two years I did each year. So it was it was just I had again, it’s it was a growing experience for me. And I was pretty young and my wife to this day was my girlfriend slash fiancee at the time. So I miss being at home and not to discredit Baltimore. But you’re right, there was no one in the stands. Like I went from junior hockey where we had 8000 people every night. And it was packed on a Friday to you know, a stage that was in an building, I never really played with a stage in a building before and you know, and to have 2000 3000 it was it was a lot different NBN nine wasting hours away from home. So it was it was a lot of growing up for me. And again, it really helped me with my longevity in the NHL, I might say if I would have made a year or two earlier, maybe I don’t play to him. I was actually 38 years old when I retired. So maybe I don’t play to that maybe I played a 34 and 35 and missed that opportunity in the Tampa Bay when another Stanley Cup. So you know, at the end of the day, it was it was it all worked out. It made me grow up a lot and understand what it takes. And really now I start with my career now with St Louis as development player person or player development. So now I was passing on to young guys trying to be a mentor to those young players and to show them that you don’t need to play for years it should be to just last three years maybe at the most and given my experience and why I wasn’t ready for NHL why what stuff they need to do to get ready to play in the NHL earlier Ah, so it was all worked out. For me it was fate and you know, I’m just fortunate that I was able to last as long as I had and play with some really Good teams,
20:00
you see yourself in a lot of these kids, huh?
20:03
I do. I do, you know, and that’s where you know with with we actually today I was the only player that got cut from Team Canada and he’s a real good players like third and scoring and the Quebec league. But he didn’t have a good summer evaluation camp with him. So it was heading into this camp getting ready for World Junior there, I had this the back of mind that he wasn’t very good in the summer, and it probably cost him an opportunity of playing. So that’s the stuff that I remind these guys like, and again, I went through three or four years of that in Baltimore, once I showed that I was ready committed to do it, I made it but those first couple of years with the lack of preparation this summer, which cost me and which also gave them bad vibes to towards me. So carrying that over my career and what things that I missed early on, I’m really trying to help only these guys so it’s been a good a good ratio between myself and these good young players, because I can help them move on to make that transition easier. Well,
20:57
St. Louis and Baltimore got a lot in common as a guy that spent a little bit of time you got great Frozen Custard out there, go to patties, go to ted Drewes do all that good stuff, but play hockey out there. Right? I mean, they long time back to check your dome all that to try to when you did plug the Stanley Cup and I mean, you work for an organization as well, that has always never had bad days. It feels to me it’s always been sort of plus but could could never get a copy even bring Gretzky in 2530 years ago, right?
21:26
Yeah, that’s funny, because I played that that year. We beat them in game seven in round two, at that time, actually traded for Gretzky to St. Louis. I was in Detroit at the time that was one of the most memorable games I’ve ever played and you know in double overtime to win one nothing in game seven that’s your when Detroit was at the NHL record to for 62 wins so playing against Gretzky every single night and then as I got to be a player you know with with other teams when I went to Boston, I became that that checking line center so I got to play against the best players every single night. So playing against a guy like your idol like Wayne Gretzky was was a lot of fun and
821:57
almost to shoot when he was older, right like the Oilers jersey? Guy. Yeah, that would have been a different story. That’s for sure. So Well, tell me about your kick. Now. Tell me about what you do. And what what does the current modern day Oh, I got your title right here, Director of player development. What are you developing?
22:19
That was my old title is Director player development. Now I’m the director of player personnel. So we’re running a hockey operations department. So my job really is to make sure that I go and watch all the NHL games I can. So if we want to make a trade and I know every single player, the ins and outs and watch their American team too. So knowing the whole league inside and out and players, as well as making sure our HL team is run smoothly, making sure players are playing well. And I’m also in charge of all young players. I’ve hired a couple Glen Wesley, defenseman played 1600 15 games HL Chris Thorburn X player so they’re on our development side that I hired to do the development side to look after young players but I’m kind of in charge of that department too. So I’m I really enjoying it. I love going to games I was in Tampa this past week for four days got to see obviously a one of my best friends that day. Vaynerchuk I see Marty saying we were in Montreal is playing. I see any of the caveat on the road a lot. So I get to see all these players that Steve Eisman guys that I played with and against, I see them on the road doing the same jobs that I’m doing. So it’s a lot of fun to still be involved in game except for that physical presence. You have to be right getting ready all summer and be ready for it physically. So I don’t have to do that anymore, which is nice. But I do get to see all the guys I played and going the old buildings and seeing the people that work the dressing rooms and work around the building get to see them too and say hi to him. So it’s a it’s a opportunity for me to stay in the game and really and see the best player still playing. So it’s a lot of fun. I really, really enjoy it.
23:47
The good old hockey game, the best game you can name so well. Hey, man, I appreciate you. We’ll spend a little time and now bringing your humility here. I you know, I learned a lot about you in the last 2530 minutes. Tim Taylor. And it all happened because Josh Brimmer saw your picture on the interweb you recognize that kid there?
24:06
I do. Yeah. Yeah, so now I’m a grandfather. So it’s that times have changed.
24:12
Oh, man. Well, you know it, Traci is enjoying this sort of weird first time in 40 years where he’s just sitting around like edging to get back in
24:22
too long for him. Tell him not to not to get used to that because there’s gonna be a lot of teams coming in for him.
24:27
I think he realizes that I think he’s taking a breath in at this point. And he said, Tell T bone. I said, Hello. So there you have it. All right.
24:35
All right. Well, I get to see him a little bit when the draft was going on. So it’s always nice to catch up.
24:39
Well, nothing like old friends and I appreciate 30 years later, you picking up the phone and remembering the young, young little reporter with the notebook in the corner writing about things I said to my wife, you were always a guy that whether the team won or lost, I could come over your locker and ask you anything and I never you wouldn’t be able to Hell from talking to you and you’re still this way you’re all like you have a business about you that I remember when you were a kid that if I mean we lost six to two tough night against Rochester, whatever Taylor’s a guy can go over talk to you know not gonna chop my head off so you I always thought it was the mature ones
25:19
I remember I went there I was 19 Turning 20 years old and I left I was 23 So I still was a young kid I a lot of growing up to do that for sure.
25:27
8Well, hey, man, I’m glad you did. You’re growing up and congrats on all your success. Thanks for the time and I’m gonna be pulling for the blues now that I know you’re involved.
25:34
All right, and that’s where we need to pull in for us. We haven’t had very many good games this year.
25:38 Row invite me out for some TED Drewes on there now you know, right Come on, be well on frozen ice and some frozen custard Tim Taylor, one time. Second round draft pick of the Washington Capitals in a four year skipjack. During my era, the Kenny Albert era or the Barry trots era that Doug McLean era of our start singing the song when you Baltimore skip dance. I’ll be doing that when all like Fight, fight fight. I am Nestor. We are wn st am 1570, Towson Baltimore, catching up with old friends talking about hockey talk in Baltimore. positive.com.
