Christopher Michael Pryor (born January 23, 1961) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

defenseman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...

who played parts of six seasons in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL) for the

Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...

and

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...

. He served as the Assistant General Manager of the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

from 2021 to 2023. At the conclusion of his playing career in 1993, Pryor was an assistant coach for one season with the minor league

Salt Lake Golden Eagles The Salt Lake Golden Eagles were a minor professional hockey team based in Salt Lake City from 1969 to 1994. History They played in the Western Hockey League from 1969 to 1974, the Central Hockey League from 1974 to 1984 and the International H ...

, before he transitioned into a front office career as a scout. He was an amateur scout and player development director for the New York Islanders from 1994 to 1998. From 1998 until his termination in 2019, he was a part of the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...

organization, filling the roles of scout, scouting director, director of player personnel and eventually Assistant General Manager. After two years with the

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...

scouting department, he was hired by incoming Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager

Ron Hextall Ronald Jeffrey Hextall (born May 3, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and executive. He is the current general manager#Sports teams, general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hext ...

in February, 2021 to join the Penguins as director of player personnel. His role involved overseeing the organization's scouting operations in North America and Europe as well as assisting in team personnel decisions. His hiring was regarded as a "No.1 Priority" for Hextall, as the pair had previously worked together extensively in Philadelphia. Pryor was promoted on June 14, 2022 to Assistant General Manager, aiding Hextall in managing all aspects of the team. He and Hextall were both fired on April 14, 2023 after the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

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* 1961 births American men's ice hockey defensemen Capital District Islanders players Kalamazoo Wings (1974–2000) players Living people Minnesota North Stars players New Hampshire Wildcats men's ice hockey players New York Islanders players New York Islanders scouts Philadelphia Flyers executives Philadelphia Flyers scouts Ice hockey player-coaches Salt Lake Golden Eagles (CHL) players Springfield Indians players Undrafted National Hockey League players Ice hockey people from Saint Paul, Minnesota {{US-icehockey-defenceman-stub