Tyler Wright

Did You Know?

• Wright represented Canada at the 1992 and 1993 World Junior Championships, serving as an alternate captain and winning a gold medal in 1993.
• He was a member of Canada's World Championship team in 2002.

Playing career

Wright was selected 12th overall in the 1991 NHL entry draft by the Edmonton Oilers. As a junior with the Swift Current Broncos, he scored 32 points as a rookie in 1989-90, then improved to 41 goals and 92 points in 66 games in 1990-91, and netted 36 goals and 82 points in 63 games in 1991-92. After being drafted, he played parts of two seasons in Edmonton (1992-93 and 1993-94) but spent most of his time with their AHL affiliate, the Cape Breton Oilers. On June 22, 1996, the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired him for a seventh-round draft pick (Brandon Lafrance). He played 45 games with the Penguins in 1996-97, registering two goals and two assists. In 1997-98, he played all 82 games for Pittsburgh, helping the team win the Northeast Division title and making his playoff debut. During the 1998-99 season, he played 61 regular-season games without scoring a point, setting an NHL record for most games in a single season without a point (since tied by Raitis Ivanans). The following year he dressed for 50 games and scored 12 goals and 22 points. In the 1999 playoffs, he scored four points in eleven games as the Penguins reached the second round, and on April 21 he scored his first career playoff goal against the Washington Capitals. On June 23, 2000, the newly formed Columbus Blue Jackets selected Wright in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft. In his first season with Columbus, he scored 16 goals and 32 points and became an on-ice leader. He scored two of the 94 hat tricks since 1987-88 that were achieved at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill: the first on March 16, 2001, against the Atlanta Thrashers, and the second on October 27, 2002, against the Los Angeles Kings. During the NHL lockout, he played with Swiss team EHC Biel in the second Swiss division. After four seasons in Columbus, he was dealt to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on November 15, 2005, in a trade that sent Sergei Fedorov to the Blue Jackets. Anaheim bought out the final year of his contract in June 2006.

Post-retirement

In July 2007, Wright rejoined the Columbus Blue Jackets organization as a development coach, working with prospects and young players in the professional minor leagues, major junior leagues, and college level. He resigned from the Blue Jackets on July 1, 2013, and on July 10, 2013, was named director of amateur scouting for the Detroit Red Wings. On July 11, 2019, he left Detroit to join new GM Ken Holland in Edmonton, having worked with Holland for the previous six seasons in Detroit. On August 22, 2023, it was announced that Wright and the Edmonton Oilers had parted ways.