Chris Higgins

Christopher The Cross Higgins (born June 2, 1983) is an American former professional ice hockey winger and current Skills and Development coach for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

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.

Higgins earned ECAC Player of the Year (co-recipient with Cornell Big Red goaltender David LeNeveu) and First All-Star Team honors; he was also recognized regionally on the NCAA East All-American Team.

Higgins played four years of high school hockey for Avon Old Farms, a preparatory school in Avon, Connecticut, graduating in 2001.

He then opted to play in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) with the Yale Bulldogs.

Higgins also considered offers from Boston College and Harvard University.

In 2001–02, Higgins began a two-year stint with the Yale Bulldogs of the ECAC Hockey Conference.

After recording a team-leading 31 points (14 goals and 17 assists) over 27 games as a freshman, he was named the ECAC Rookie of the Year.

He additionally received ECAC All-Rookie and Second All-Star Team honors.

While playing college hockey, he was selected 14th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Internationally, Higgins has competed for the United States in two World Junior Championships (2002 and 2003) and one World Championship (2009).

In the off-season, Higgins was selected 14th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 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.

Following his sophomore year, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canadiens on May 22, 2003.

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.

He recorded 48 points over 67 AHL games in 2003–04, ranking fifth in team scoring.

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.

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 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.

A month into the 2006–07 season, Higgins suffered a sprained left ankle during a game against the New Jersey Devils.

At the time of the injury, on November 4, 2006, he was leading the Canadiens with eight goals.

Sidelined for 6 weeks, Higgins was limited to 61 games, though still managed to match his previous season's points total with 22 goals and 16 assists.

Set to become a restricted free agent in the off-season, Montreal re-signed Higgins to a two-year, US$3.4 million deal on June 25, 2007.

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.

On November 11, 2008, Higgins recorded his first NHL hat-trick in a 4–0 win over the Ottawa Senators.

However, his points total decreased in his fourth NHL campaign with 23 points over 57 games.

He recorded three consecutive 20-goal seasons to begin his NHL career before being traded to the New York Rangers in June 2009.

Coming off what was the lowest statistical season of his career, he was traded by the Canadiens, along with Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valentenko and Doug Janik, to the New York Rangers in exchange for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto on June 30, 2009.

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.

Higgins was dealt, along with Aleš Kotalík, in exchange for Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust.

He scored his first goal with the Flames on March 9, an empty netter, in a 4–1 win against the Detroit Red Wings.

After brief stints with the Rangers, Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers, he joined the Vancouver Canucks in February 2011.