Chris Tamer's willingness to take the body while playing within his means when in possession of the puck has made him an asset since joining the NHL in 1993-94.
Born in Dearborn, MI Tamer spent two years in the junior NAHL with the Redford Royals before being selected 68th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. Tamer enrolled at the University of Michigan in the fall of 1989 and spent four years as a member of the Wolverine blueline before making his professional debut with the Penguins IHL affiliate in Cleveland.
The rugged blueliner split his first two seasons with the Pittsburgh and Cleveland before becoming a regular in 1995-96. He helped the club reach the Eastern Conference final in 1996 and provided a physical presence on the defence until the early stages of the 1998-99 season. In November 1998, he was included in the deal that was centred around Alexei Kovalev and Petr Nedved of the New York Rangers. Tamer was claimed by the Atlanta Thrashers at the 1999 Expansion Draft and has provided grit and stability with the young club.
A two-time member of the U.S. World Championship team (1999, 2002), Tamer played in 600th NHL game during the 2002-03 season.
