The St. Louis Blues today announced a leadership change for its American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate that features Assistant General Managers Ryan Miller and Tim Taylor each adding the title of Springfield Thunderbirds Co-General Manager on a permanent basis moving forward.
The immediate change in management structure follows the departure of former Thunderbirds General Manager Kevin Maxwell for an opportunity with another NHL club. In their dual roles for the Blues and Thunderbirds, Taylor will continue to oversee player personnel while Miller will manage contract negotiations, compliance, and various hockey operations functions.
“Kevin played an instrumental role in the development of our prospects and strengthening of our relationship with the Springfield organization during his three-plus years with our management team and we wish him all the best in the next chapter of his career,” said Doug Armstrong, St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager. “Building on the success from their previous roles within the Blues organization, Ryan and Tim have proven to be an effective team with complementary talents over their two years as assistant general managers in support of me and Alexander Steen. As we move forward with them sharing the developmental and operational responsibilities of players throughout all levels of our organization, their partnership will ensure efficientcommunications and decision making between our staffs in St. Louis and Springfield.”
Miller, 42, came to the Blues in 2010 as the team’s director of hockey administration before being promoted to assistant general manager in 2020 after helping the Blues to the 2019 Stanley Cup title. In his role, Miller negotiates contracts, ensures compliance under the collective bargaining agreement and salary cap, and prepares for players who might opt to file for salary arbitration, along with a wide range of other responsibilities. The Colorado native earned a B.A. in criminal justice from the University of Dayton and later studied at the University of Denver's Sturm College of Law, before making a career path choice that ultimately guided him to hockey. An internship at KO Sports led to him being hired as their director of hockey operations and licensing after passing the bar exam.
Taylor, 57, first joined the Blues as director of player development in 2011 before elevating to his most current role as assistant general manager and director of player personnel. During his tenure, Taylor has made a substantial impact on the organization through his efforts to assess, develop and guide Blues prospects at all levels. His efforts played a key role in helping the Blues capture the 2019 Stanley Cup championship. As a player, Taylor enjoyed a 13-year NHL career, including stints with Detroit, Boston, the New York Rangers, and Tampa Bay. As a player, he was a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, winning with Detroit in 1997 and Tampa Bay in 2004.
With an affiliation agreement that began in 2021, the Blues and Thunderbirds announced an extension of that partnership through the end of the 2030-31 season back in October 2024 that further solidified the long-term future of the AHL in Springfield, one of the league’s charter cities. The Thunderbirds have experienced tremendous success on and off the ice throughout their association with the Blues. In 2022, the team captured the Richard F. Canning Trophy as Eastern Conference Champions before reaching the Calder Cup Finals for the first time in club history. The Thunderbirds received the AHL President's Award as Team of the Year that same season.
Currently led by Head Coach Steve Ott, former Blues player and an assistant coach on the Blues’ 2018-19 Stanley Cup championship team, Springfield currently holds the sixth and final playoff position in the AHL’s Atlantic Division.
Overall, 33 players have skated in games for both teams during the affiliation agreement, including current Blues players Dalibor Dvorsky, Joel Hofer, Matthew Kessel, Theo Lindstein, Jake Neighbours, Logan Mailloux, Otto Stenberg, Alexey Toropchenko, and Tyler Tucker.
