Tim Taylor wants to win the Stanley Cup as assistant general manager of the Blues

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Nothing compares to the feeling of an NHL career that lasted 12 seasons and more than 800 games.

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But Tim Taylor’s new role as assistant general manager of the St. Louis Blues comes hot on the heels of that position.

“It’s an adrenaline rush,” he said Thursday after returning to Stratford for an extended break. “It’s not the adrenaline rush you get as a player, but it’s still an adrenaline rush when you’re trying to build a Stanley Cup-winning team and figure out what makes a perfect team. There’s a lot that goes into it, but it’s very fascinating.”

Taylor, 55, had been unofficially holding the job since the middle of the 2022-23 season. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong pushed him in that direction when the club unveiled an executive succession plan that calls for Alexander Steen to take over as GM in 2026.

“(Armstrong) guides me and helps me, and at the end of the day he doesn’t leave me alone,” Taylor said. “It’s been a step forward in my development and I’ve grown quickly. I even see the game differently than I did three or four years ago.”

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The league has evolved since Taylor hung up his skates with Tampa after the 2006-07 season. He found retirement too much and joined the Blues in 2011 as director of player development. He progressed to director of personnel until Armstrong nudged him in and brought Taylor into the inner circle of Hockey Canada’s men’s program.

The transition was relatively smooth, thanks to an NHL record of 75 goals, 181 points and two Cup wins. He helped the Blues win their first title in 2019.

“That helped me step into the role and made it easier, and knowing how the players feel,” Taylor said. “People think these are millionaire players and forget that they’ve dedicated their whole life to this career. They want to win and do well … and try to get the best out of people.”

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Instead of mentoring young players and working on that side of management, Taylor is monitoring promising talent, keeping an eye on the Blues’ minor league affiliates, watching NHL teams and figuring out who the club might target through transfers or signings.

Since the spring, he has been at the World Championships in Prague, the Memorial Cup in Saginaw, the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, the draft in Las Vegas and then back in St. Louis for the Blues’ development camp, professional meetings and free agency appearances.

“It was a good learning experience,” he said.

The former NHL Players Association official already had a working knowledge of the financial side of the game, which has changed drastically with the salary cap and other nuances coming into greater focus for players and teams. There is still a lot to learn, he said, but “that was something I always found fascinating.”

Now that he’s back home, Taylor can refocus on the 2024-25 season before heading back to a job he can’t imagine living without.

And he still gets to hit the ice with his son on Sunday nights in Stratford’s Over the Hill League.

“At some point I want to be a GM,” he said. “If that doesn’t work out, I’m pretty relaxed knowing that Alex (Steen) and I can handle the situation and try to build another Cup team.”

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