Chris Cichocki Chris J . Cichocki [ si - HOCK - ey ] ( born September 17 , 1963 , in Detroit , Michigan , USA ) is a retired ice hockey right winger . He played a handful of games at the NHL level , but is mostly known for his high scoring in the American Hockey League . Most recently he was Head Coach of the Stockton Thunder in the ECHL . Professional career . Minor league hockey . Cichocki began attracting attention while playing in the Michigan National Hockey League during high school . While playing for the Grosse Point Majors , Cichocki put up 50 goals and 70 assists in 70 games to lead the league with 120 points for the 1979 – 80 season . He then spent two years playing in the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League before deciding to attend college at Michigan Technological University in Houghton , Michigan . Beginning in 1982 , Cichocki began to put up big numbers with his NCAA club , including 54 points in his senior season with the Huskies . The hockey world took notice of his skills and Cichocki was signed as a free agent by his hometown team , the Detroit Red Wings , on June 28 , 1985 . Playing in the NHL . Cichocki began playing for his hometown Red Wings during the 1985 – 86 season . He played 54 games of the season and posted 21 points on the season . However the Red Wings were going through roster changes , trying to find a winning combination to play alongside Steve Yzerman and Gerard Gallant , and Cichocki didn ' t always fit into the equation . For the 1986 – 87 season , Cichocki only played two games for the Detroit club , but was a powerful force on Detroit ' s farm team , the Adirondack Red Wings . In 55 games he contributed 65 points and helped Adirondack march into the playoffs . However , in Detroit ' s effort to find veteran leadership , Cichocki was traded before the end of the season on March 9 , 1987 , to the New Jersey Devils . Mel Bridgman made the trip to Detroit for Cichocki and Detroit ' s 3rd round draft pick . Cichocki finished out the 1986 – 87 season with the Maine Mariners , scoring four points in seven games . The following seasons saw Cichocki start fresh , playing for New Jersey ' s farm team the Utica Devils . He scored 66 points in 1987 – 88 and 63 points in 1988 – 89 . During that span he played in seven games for the New Jersey Devils , scoring one goal , one assist and four penalty minutes . In 1989 , Cichocki chipped in an assist during Utica ' s short playoff run . After beginning the 1989 – 90 season with Utica , Cichocki was traded to the Hartford Whalers for Jim Thomson on October 31 , 1989 . Cichocki was quickly placed on Hartford ' s farm team the Binghamton Whalers and again started to put up big numbers . In four seasons with the Binghamton Whalers ( renamed the Binghamton Rangers in 1990 ) , Cichocki chalked up 221 points , including three 50 - point seasons and 18 points within three playoff runs , all of which ended in the semi - finals to division rival the Rochester Americans . After the 1992 – 93 season , Cichocki ' s contract was over and he decided to continue his career with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the International Hockey League . Cichocki acquired 120 points in four seasons of play for the Cyclones , with his largest total of 52 coming in the 1994 – 95 season . Still the Cyclones could not find post - season success , never being able to reach the finals in four years of postseason play . After playing just six games for the Cyclones in 1997 – 98 , Cichocki officially retired on October 23 , 1997 . Cichocki the coach . The Cyclones needed an assistant coach and Cichocki was retiring at just the right time . Cichocki took over the position and would remain assistant coach until the IHL folded at the end of the 1999 – 2000 season . He helped lead the Cyclones to winning records each year and into the playoffs . After Cincinnati , Cichocki was offered the head coaching job and the position of Director of Hockey Operations for the Arkansas RiverBlades of the ECHL . He accepted and led the RiverBlades to a 34 - 24 - 14 record and their first shot at the playoffs , eventually losing in the second round to the South Carolina Stingrays . After two more winning seasons , including 2002 – 03 in which Arkansas saw Cichocki setting team records in both wins and points , Cichocki was invited to return to Cincinnati to Head Coach the new Cyclones for the 2003 – 04 season and received a warm welcome as the fans reacted to having him back . . However the excitement was short - lived as the Cyclones finished dead - last in the Northern division with a 25 - 43 - 4 record , and with the lowest point total in the franchise ' s history . The Cyclones suspended operations the following season and Cichocki decided to take the year off from coaching after his dismal season . But he decided to return to coaching when he took over the Head Coach position for the newly formed Stockton Thunder in 2005 . The Thunder finished with a 18 - 40 - 14 record , good enough for last in the Pacific division . Cichocki was given another chance and in the 2006 – 07 season , turned the club around with a 36 point increase , finishing with a record of 38 - 22 - 10 and reaching the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the first time in the club ' s history . The Thunder lost in the Semi - finals to the Idaho Steelheads after an intense six - game series . That season also saw Cichocki selected as one of four coaches to coach in the 2007 Rbk Hockey ECHL All - Star Game . On April 5 , 2007 , Cichocki was granted a three - year contract extension to coach the Thunder through 2010 .