J. T. Compher

Joseph Taylor Compher (born April 8, 1995) is an American professional ice hockey center for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 35th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Compher won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.

Born and raised in Northbrook, Illinois, Compher was introduced to ice hockey by a preschool friend and played for a number of teams in the area before joining the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in 2011. He played for two seasons with the program, with appearances in two IIHF World U18 Championships. From there, he played three seasons of college ice hockey for the Michigan Wolverines. As a freshman during the 2013–14 season, Compher led all Big Ten Conference freshmen in scoring with 31 points, and he was named the inaugural Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Freshman of the Year. Two years later, he served both as the Wolverines' captain and as a member of the high-scoring "CCM Line". Made up of Compher, Kyle Connor, and Tyler Motte, the CCM Line combined for 83 goals and 107 assists during the 2015–16 season and helped Michigan to capture their first Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

While he was attending college, the Sabres included Compher in a trade package with the Colorado Avalanche, the team he joined after completing his career with Michigan. Compher spent the first part of the season with the San Antonio Rampage, the Avalanche's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, but finished the 2016–17 season in the NHL as a replacement for the traded Jarome Iginla. After finding success in his first full NHL season during 2017–18, Compher hoped to become Colorado's second-line center in 2018–19, a plan that was delayed when he was sidelined with a concussion. Compher posted consecutive 30-point seasons during the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons despite losing time to injury and the COVID-19 pandemic.