Quick Facts
PiscesBiography
Rick Kowalsky (born March 20, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the 10th round (227th overall) of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. Kowalsky is currently an assistant coach for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL), having previously spent eight seasons as the head coach of their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Albany Devils and then the Binghamton Devils.
Kowalsky played four seasons (1989 – 1993) of major junior hockey with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, scoring 54 goals and 100 assists for 144 points, while earning 259 penalty minutes, in 209 games played.
He went on to play 12 seasons of professional hockey, including 183 games played in the American Hockey League and 516 games in the ECHL. Kowalsky retired as a player following the 2004–05 season during which he helped the Trenton Titans capture the Kelly Cup as the 2005 ECHL Champions. In 2017, he was elected into the ECHL Hall of Fame.
As the head coach for Albany in 2015-16, Kowalsky was named AHL Coach of the Year after leading the Devils to the second round of the playoffs.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1989–90 | Thessalon Flyers | NOJHL | 8 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Soo Greyhounds | OHL | 43 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Soo Greyhounds | OHL | 46 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 59 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 17 | ||
| 1991–92 | Soo Greyhounds | OHL | 66 | 25 | 44 | 69 | 119 | 19 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 39 | ||
| 1992–93 | Soo Greyhounds | OHL | 54 | 23 | 47 | 70 | 58 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 35 | ||
| 1993–94 | Cornwall Aces | AHL | 65 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Hampton Roads Admirals | ECHL | 49 | 29 | 24 | 53 | 114 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1994–95 | Cornwall Acres | AHL | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Hampton Roads Admirals | ECHL | 52 | 21 | 29 | 50 | 121 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Hampton Roads Admirals | ECHL | 52 | 14 | 26 | 40 | 94 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 16 | ||
| 1996–97 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 22 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Hampton Roads Admirals | ECHL | 24 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 39 | 11 | 25 | 36 | 78 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 1998–99 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 47 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 85 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Hampton Roads Admirals | ECHL | 67 | 23 | 47 | 70 | 109 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 20 | ||
| 2000–01 | Trenton Titans | ECHL | 12 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 22 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 12 | ||
| 2001–02 | Roanoke Express | ECHL | 70 | 35 | 48 | 83 | 112 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Roanoke Express | ECHL | 68 | 27 | 55 | 82 | 132 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2003–04 | Roanoke Express | ECHL | 67 | 31 | 45 | 76 | 122 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2004–05 | Roanoke Express | ECHL | 55 | 23 | 29 | 52 | 81 | 20 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 26 | ||
| AHL totals | 183 | 35 | 57 | 92 | 297 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 8 | ||||
| ECHL totals | 516 | 221 | 329 | 550 | 979 | 68 | 32 | 30 | 62 | 90 | ||||