Rick Kowalsky

Rick Kowalsky (born March 20, 1972) is a Canadian ice hockey head coach former professional player. He was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the 10th round (227th overall) of the 1992 NHL entry draft. He is currently the head coach and general manager of the Maine Mariners of the ECHL.

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. He was relieved as head coach of the Bridgeport Islanders on May 29, 2025.

He became head coach of the ECHL's Maine Mariners in August 2025.

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 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 183 35 57 92 297 10 5 2 7 8 ECHL totals 516 221 329 550 979 68 32 30 62 90