Chris Cichocki
Encyclopedia
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
.
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.
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.
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.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, USA) is a retired ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
right winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
. He played a handful of games at the NHL level, but is mostly known for his high scoring in the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
. Most Recently he was Head Coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Stockton Thunder
Stockton Thunder
The Stockton Thunder are a minor league professional ice hockey team from Stockton, California. The Thunder are a member of the ECHL, and began playing in the 2005–06 season. The Stockton Arena is their home ice, providing a capacity for 9,737 fans...
in the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
.
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 LeagueGreat Lakes Junior Hockey League
The Great Lakes Junior Hockey League , an American Tier III Junior B ice hockey league. The league has 12 teams located in the Great Lakes region of the Midwestern United States.-History:...
before deciding to attend college at Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University is a public research university located in Houghton, Michigan, United States. Its main campus sits on on a bluff overlooking Portage Lake...
in Houghton, Michigan
Houghton, Michigan
Houghton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County...
. Beginning in 1982, Cichocki began to put up big numbers with his NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
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
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, 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 YzermanSteve Yzerman
Stephen Gregory "Steve" Yzerman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League...
and Gerard Gallant
Gerard Gallant
Gerard "Turk" Gallant is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former NHL player.Gallant was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, sixth round, one-hundred seventh overall....
, 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
Adirondack Red Wings
The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, USA at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
. 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
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Mel Bridgman
Mel Bridgman
Melvin John Bridgman is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1975–76 until 1988–89....
made the trip to Detroit for Cichocki and Detroit's 3rd round draft pick. Cichocki finished out the 1986–87 season
1986–87 AHL season
The 1986–87 AHL season was the 51st season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league institutes awarding one point in the standings, for an overtime loss...
with the Maine Mariners
Maine Mariners
The Maine Mariners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Portland, Maine, USA at the Cumberland County Civic Center.-History:...
, scoring four points in seven games.
The following seasons saw Cichocki start fresh, playing for New Jersey's farm team the Utica Devils
Utica Devils
The Utica Devils were an ice hockey team of the American Hockey League. The team played in Utica, New York at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.-History:...
. He scored 66 points in 1987–88
1987–88 AHL season
The 1987–88 AHL season was the 52nd season of the American Hockey League. Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league abandoned shootout, but continues to award points for an overtime loss...
and 63 points in 1988–89
1988–89 AHL season
The 1988–89 AHL season was the 53rd season of the American Hockey League. Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league abandoned awarding points for an overtime loss. The Sherbrooke Canadiens finished first overall in the regular season...
. 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
1989–90 AHL season
The 1989–90 AHL season was the 54th season of the American Hockey League.Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Sherbrooke Canadiens repeated finishing first overall in the regular season...
with Utica, Cichocki was traded to the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
for Jim Thomson on October 31, 1989. Cichocki was quickly placed on Hartford's farm team the Binghamton Whalers
Binghamton Whalers
The Binghamton Whalers was an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. It played in Binghamton, New York, USA, at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.-History:...
and again started to put up big numbers. In four seasons with the Binghamton Whalers (renamed the Binghamton Rangers
Binghamton Rangers
The Binghamton Rangers were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Binghamton, New York, USA at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.-History:The market was previously served by:-Playoffs:-Single Season:...
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
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
.
After the 1992–93 season, Cichocki's contract was over and he decided to continue his career with the Cincinnati Cyclones
Cincinnati Cyclones
The Cincinnati Cyclones are a professional hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team is a member of the ECHL. Founded in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at U.S. Bank Arena....
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 coachCoach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
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
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
and the position of Director of Hockey Operations for the Arkansas RiverBlades
Arkansas RiverBlades
The Arkansas RiverBlades was a short-lived minor-league ice hockey team located in North Little Rock, Arkansas.The Arkansas RiverBlades was an expansion franchise that entered the East Coast Hockey League for the 1998–99 season...
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
South Carolina Stingrays
The South Carolina Stingrays are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in North Charleston, South Carolina. The Stingrays play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at the North Charleston Coliseum. The Carolina Ice Palace, also located in...
. 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
Stockton Thunder
The Stockton Thunder are a minor league professional ice hockey team from Stockton, California. The Thunder are a member of the ECHL, and began playing in the 2005–06 season. The Stockton Arena is their home ice, providing a capacity for 9,737 fans...
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
Kelly Cup
The Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the play-off champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup. The current cup is named after Patrick J. Kelly, the league's first commissioner. The cup is loaned to the winning...
Playoffs for the first time in the club's history. The Thunder lost in the Semi-finals to the Idaho Steelheads
Idaho Steelheads
The Idaho Steelheads are an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Boise, Idaho. The team began playing in 1997 and has been a member of the ECHL since 2003....
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.