Christopher Higgins

Christopher Robert Higgins (born June 2, 1983) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the skills and development coach for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). While playing college hockey, he was selected 14th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2002 NHL entry draft. He finished a two-year career with the Yale Bulldogs, earning ECAC Hockey Player of the Year honors as a sophomore, before turning professional for the 2003–04 season. After two seasons with the Canadiens' minor league affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League (AHL), he joined the NHL in 2005–06. He recorded three consecutive 20-goal seasons to begin his NHL career before being traded to the New York Rangers in June 2009. After brief stints with the Rangers, Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers, he joined the Vancouver Canucks in February 2011. Internationally, Higgins has competed for the United States in two World Junior Championships (2002 and 2003) and one World Championship.

Playing career

Amateur career (1998–2003) Higgins played four years of high school hockey for Avon Old Farms, a preparatory school in Avon, Connecticut, graduating in 2001.

In the off-season, Higgins was selected 14th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2002 NHL entry draft. He became the first ECAC Hockey player to be selected in the first round of the NHL entry draft since Normand Lacombe in 1983 (the Buffalo Sabres selected him 10th overall). Returning to Yale for one more season, he improved to 41 points over 28 games, leading his team in scoring for the second consecutive year. and First All-Star Team honors; he was also recognized regionally on the NCAA East All-American Team. Higgins made his NHL debut on October 11, 2003, registering three minutes of ice time in a 4–0 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Struggling to play his way onto the Canadiens' lineup, he was often made a healthy scratch (non-dressing player) in October before being assigned to the team's minor league affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League (AHL), by the end of the month. Due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Higgins automatically remained in Hamilton and improved to 51 points, ranking third among Bulldogs scorers.

The following season, as NHL play resumed, Higgins made the Canadiens' roster out of training camp. He scored his first career NHL goal on October 6, 2005, against New York Rangers goalie Kevin Weekes during an away game at Madison Square Garden. The Canadiens won the contest 4–3 in overtime. He finished the season with 23 goals, ranking seventh among league rookies, and 15 assists for a total of 38 points. Sidelined for 6 weeks, Prior to the start of the 2007–08 season, Higgins was named an alternate captain for the Canadiens. He went on to have a career season with personal bests of 27 goals, 25 assists and 52 points. However, his points total decreased in his fourth NHL campaign with 23 points over 57 games. A restricted free agent at the time of the trade, he agreed to a one-year, US$2.25 contract with the Rangers six days later. He scored his first goal with the Rangers on November 3, 2009, against the Vancouver Canucks, his team's lone marker in a 4–1 loss. His offensive struggles continued in New York (he recorded 15 points in 55 games) and he was subsequently traded to the Calgary Flames on February 2, 2010, along with Aleš Kotalík, in exchange for Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust. Two days later, he suffered a foot injury that sidelined him for the remaining 14 games of the regular season. He had considered re-signing with Calgary, but cited new Florida Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon's experience as a strong factor for joining Florida (Tallon was largely responsible for assembling the Chicago Blackhawks team that won the Stanley Cup the previous season). |group=notes then a spider bite. Higgins later missed an additional seven games the following month with a hamstring injury. At the NHL trade deadline, on February 28, 2011, Higgins was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for defensive prospect Evan Oberg and a third-round draft pick in 2013. The Canucks had reportedly been interested in a different Panthers player, but with a minute left until the trade deadline, Panthers Assistant General Manager Mike Santos called the Canucks back and offered Higgins. In 48 games with the Panthers, he had recorded 11 goals and 23 points. He completed the season with 13 goals and 28 points in 62 games between Florida and Vancouver. While Higgins played the majority of the regular season with the Canucks as a bottom-six forward, by the playoffs, he was playing on the second line with Ryan Kesler and Mason Raymond. Entering the post-season as the Presidents' Trophy champions, the Canucks held the first seed in the West. After eliminating the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks in the first three rounds, the Canucks advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals. Facing the Boston Bruins, the series went to a seventh game, which the Canucks lost 4–0. Following the Canucks' game seven defeat, it was revealed that several Canucks players had been playing with injuries, including Higgins. His injury occurred in game five of the second round against the Predators, when he blocked a Kevin Klein shot with his skate, breaking his left foot. Over 25 playoff games, Higgins recorded four goals and eight points. Three of his goals were game-winners, tying him with Geoff Courtnall (1994) for the most in a single playoff season by a Canucks player.

During the off-season, Higgins re-signed with Vancouver to a two-year, $3.8 million contract on July 1, 2011. The deal was agreed upon prior to his scheduled unrestricted free agency. During the season, Higgins struggled with two bouts of staph infection, one in December 2011 and the other in February 2012. He missed a combined 11 games as a result of swelling and suffering from severe side effects to the associated medication. Though he missed time, Higgins also played through the adverse reactions for several games following both bouts with the infection. Through the first half of the season, he often played on the second line with Kesler and newcomer David Booth; the trio were dubbed the "American Express Line," as they were all born in the United States. Towards the end of the season, he was consistently placed on the team's third line, a defensive shutdown unit with fellow two-way forwards Jannik Hansen and deadline-acquisition Samuel Påhlsson. Used in both roles over the campaign, Higgins was often recognized as the team's most consistent and hardest-working forward. On the last day of the regular season, he was accordingly awarded the Fred J. Hume Award, voted by fans as the team's "unsung hero." Appearing in 71 games, Higgins recorded 43 points (18 goals and 25 assists), his highest total in four years and fifth among team forwards.

On April 2, 2013, Higgins signed a four-year, $10 million extension with the Canucks.

During the 2015–16 season, on January 12, 2016, Higgins was put on waivers after unsuccessful attempts to trade the winger. He cleared waivers the next day and was sent down to the Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate of the Canucks. On March 19, 2016, Higgins was recalled by the Vancouver Canucks after multiple injuries occurred on both the Canucks and Comets rosters. He would finish the season with the Canucks.

In the off-season, on June 27, 2016, Higgins's tenure in Vancouver ended when he was placed on waivers by the Canucks for the intention of buying out the remaining year of his contract. On August 30, 2016, unable to secure an NHL contract, Higgins signed a PTO to attend training camp with former club, the Calgary Flames. On October 10, Higgins was released from his tryout.

International play Higgins played in back-to-back World Junior Championships during his college career. First appearing in 2002, he recorded four goals and two assists over seven games. The following year, Higgins matched his points total with three goals and three assists.

Higgins made his first international appearance for the American men's team at the 2009 IIHF World Championship. He scored his only goal of the tournament in a 4–3 overtime loss to Switzerland in the qualifying round. After losing their semifinal game to Russia, the United States lost the bronze medal to Sweden by a 4–2 score.

Coaching career On September 11, 2019, it was announced that Higgins had returned to the Vancouver Canucks organization to serve as an assistant director of player development. On December 23, 2020, the Canucks announced they had reassigned Higgins to serve as the team's Skills and Development Coach.

Playing style Listed at tall and , Higgins plays mostly in the style of a power forward. He has alternated between playing the wing and center positions. His father, Robert, As a minor, he played on teams with his future Canadiens teammate Mike Komisarek and his future Flames teammate Eric Nystrom, both of whom he remains close friends with. He was a student of Lithuanian hockey coach Aleksey Nikiforov at hockey camps in his teenage years. Though he grew up on Long Island, Higgins was a Montreal Canadiens fan as a child, following after his father; his favorite players on the team were goaltender Patrick Roy and captain Kirk Muller. Following his high school graduation, Higgins was enrolled in Yale University for two years, majoring in political science while playing on the school's hockey team.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1999–2000 Avon Old Farms USHS 27 19 20 39 10 — — — — — 2000–01 Avon Old Farms USHS 24 22 13 35 12 — — — — — 2001–02 Yale University ECAC 27 14 17 31 32 — — — — — 2002–03 Yale University ECAC 28 20 21 41 41 — — — — — 2003–04 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 67 21 27 48 18 10 3 2 5 0 2003–04 Montreal Canadiens NHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2004–05 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 76 28 23 51 33 4 3 3 6 4 2005–06 Montreal Canadiens NHL 80 23 15 38 26 6 1 3 4 0 2006–07 Montreal Canadiens NHL 61 22 16 38 26 — — — — — 2007–08 Montreal Canadiens NHL 82 27 25 52 22 12 3 2 5 2 2008–09 Montreal Canadiens NHL 57 12 11 23 22 4 2 0 2 2 2009–10 New York Rangers NHL 55 6 8 14 32 — — — — — 2009–10 Calgary Flames NHL 12 2 1 3 0 — — — — — 2010–11 Florida Panthers NHL 48 11 12 23 10 — — — — — 2010–11 Vancouver Canucks NHL 14 2 3 5 6 25 4 4 8 2 2011–12 Vancouver Canucks NHL 71 18 25 43 16 5 0 0 0 2 2012–13 Vancouver Canucks NHL 41 10 5 15 10 4 0 0 0 0 2013–14 Vancouver Canucks NHL 78 17 22 39 30 — — — — — 2014–15 Vancouver Canucks NHL 77 12 24 36 16 6 1 1 2 2 2015–16 Vancouver Canucks NHL 33 3 1 4 4 — — — — — 2015–16 Utica Comets AHL 22 9 4 13 8 — — — — — NHL totals 711 165 168 333 220 62 11 10 21 10

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2002 United States WJC 5th 7 4 2 6 6 2003 United States WJC 4th 7 3 3 6 4 2009 United States WC 4th 6 1 0 1 2 Junior totals 14 7 5 12 10 Senior totals 6 1 0 1 2

Awards and honors Award Year All-ECAC Hockey Rookie Team 2001–02 All-ECAC Hockey Second Team 2001–02 All-ECAC Hockey First Team 2002–03 AHCA East First-Team All-American 2002–03