The Colorado Avalanche added former NHL veteran defenseman Taylor Chorney to their player development staff. Chorney joins a department led by longtime Avs director of player development Brian Willsie.
The 39-year-old spent a decade in the NHL, appearing in 166 games from 2008 to 2018 for five different clubs. He had two stints with the Edmonton Oilers, along with stops with the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and Columbus Blue Jackets. In total, Chorney recorded four goals and 18 points in regular-season play. He also dressed in 12 playoff games in 2015 and 2016, recording one assist.
Chorney was drafted No. 36 overall by the Oilers in the 2005 NHL draft out of high school. He went on to play three years for North Dakota before turning pro.
After departing the NHL in 2018, Chorney spent two seasons in Switzerland playing for HC Lugano in the nation’s top professional league. He then spent the 2020-21 season with EC Salzburg of the ICEHL in a league that primarily operates in Austria. He retired from pro hockey following that stint.