Chris Conner

Chris Ryan Conner (born December 23, 1983) is an American professional ice hockey winger, currently with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL), a farm team of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. He has also played professionally with the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins. He grew up in Westland, MI and attended Winston Churchill High School in Livonia, MI. He lived in the same neighbourhood as current Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler, and the two grew up together playing hockey since childhood.

Playing career
Undrafted, Chris Conner played four seasons of collegiate hockey for Michigan Tech of the WCHA from 2002 to 2006. After his senior year, Chris made his professional debut with the Iowa Stars of the AHL at the end of the 2005–06 season.

On July 13, 2006, Conner signed as a free agent to a two-year contract with the Dallas Stars. Conner was then assigned to affiliate Iowa for the start of the 2006–07 season, but upon being recalled, scored his first NHL goal during a game against the Colorado Avalanche on December 27, 2006. Conner was re-signed by the Stars at the end of the 2007–08 season to a one-year deal on March 12, 2008.

After splitting the 2008–09 season between the Stars and the Peoria Rivermen, Conner signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh Penguins on July 7, 2009. Conner appeared in 60 games during the 2010-11 NHL Season with Pittsburgh, scoring seven goals with nine assists. He scored the Penguins second goal in a 8-2 loss in Game 5 of Pittsburgh's first round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Conner failed to convert on a penalty shot during the second period of the next game, losing the puck off his stick as he advanced towards Lightning goaltender Dwayne Roloson. Pittsburgh ultimately lost the series in seven games.

On July 7, 2011, Conner signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Detroit Red Wings.