# Rick Kowalsky

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 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.
Kowalsky spent 15 seasons as a coach in the New Jersey Devils organization of the National Hockey League (NHL), including spent eight seasons as the head coach of their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Albany Devils and the Binghamton Devils. 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. In 2021, he was hired by the New York Islanders, and his former boss Lou Lamoriello when he was with the Devils, as an assistant coach for their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders.Upon head coach Brent Thompson’s departure to the Anaheim Ducks Rick Kowalsky was promoted to be the head coach of the Bridgeport Islanders in July 2023.

## Career statistics

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | 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 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 43 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990–91 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 46 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 59 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 17 |
| 1991–92 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 66 | 25 | 44 | 69 | 119 | 19 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 39 |
| 1992–93 | Sault Ste. Marie 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 | AHL totals | AHL totals | 183 | 35 | 57 | 92 | 297 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 8 |
| ECHL totals | ECHL totals | ECHL totals | 516 | 221 | 329 | 550 | 979 | 68 | 32 | 30 | 62 | 90 |