| Davis Payne | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 24, 1970 King City, ON, CAN |
| Height Weight |
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) |
| Position | Right wing |
| Shoots | Left |
| Played for | Boston Bruins |
| NHL Draft | 140th overall, 1989 Edmonton Oilers |
| Playing career | 1992–2000 |
Davis Payne (born September 24, 1970 in King City, Ontario) is a retired Canadian ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins and is currently the interim head coach of the St. Louis Blues.
Playing career[]
Payne was drafted 140th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He turned pro in 1992 and joined the Greensboro Monarchs of the East Coast Hockey League. He then had spells in the International Hockey League with the Phoenix Roadrunners and the American Hockey League with the Rochester Americans before returning to the Monarchs for a second spell. After playing two games with the Providence Bruins, Payne signed with the Boston Bruins. While spending most of his time playing in Providence, he managed to play 22 games for Boston over two seasons, scoring an assist while collecting 14 penalty minutes. He moved to the San Antonio Dragons before returning to the ECHL to spend his final two seasons with the Greenville Grrrowl.
Coaching career[]
ECHL: Pee Dee and Alaska[]
In 2000, Payne became the head coach of the Pee Dee Pride in the ECHL. Payne coached there through the 2003 season, attaining a regular season record of 104-67-17. The team also made the playoffs all three seasons, advancing to the second round each year. After the 2002-2003 season, Payne began coaching the Alaska Aces (ECHL). Payne coached in Alaska from 2003 to 2007, leading the team to the playoffs every year, including a Kelly Cup Championship in 2005-2006 season. He ended his tenure at the Aces with a regular season record of 185-75-28 and a playoff record of 38-21. Payne is also one of two coaches to lead his team to back-to-back 100-point seasons, winning the Brabham Cup in 2005-06 with 113 points and finishing second in 2006-07 with 105 points.
AHL: Peoria Rivermen[]
In July 2008, Payne was named the head coach of the St. Louis Blues AHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen. Payne achieved a record of 62-44-9 while coaching at Peoria.
NHL: St. Louis Blues[]
On January 2, 2010, Payne was named the interim head coach of the St. Louis Blues following the club's dismissal of Andy Murray. He is the second youngest active head coach in the NHL, as Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma was born five days earlier.