Utica College men’s hockey Head Coach Gary Heenan named Eddie Olczyk as the new assistant coach of the Pioneers in the Summer of 2014. Olczyk, son of former National Hockey League player and coach Eddie Olczyk, is entering his second season assisting Coach Heenan with all facets of the program including practice and game preparation, recruiting and office management.
This past season, the Pioneers once again led the nation in home attendance for the ninth consecutive season this past year. Utica's average home attendance of 3,695 fans per game ranks second all-time for home attendance in division III history, just one spot behind the 2012-13 Pioneers single season record average of 3,754. UC's average attendance ranked 23rd nationally at all levels of NCAA hockey (DI-DIII). The Pioneers sold out six of their 14 home games this past season.
UC also played a part in another record breaking event this season as the Pioneers tied Oswego State, 4-4, in the Frozen Dome Classic at Syracuse University's Carrier Dome. Utica and Oswego attracted a new NCAA Division III hockey indoor attendance record of 7,047 fans to the Dome for the contest.
Olczyk helped guide senior Louie Educate to his second ECAC West All-Conference selection and freshman defender Dalton Carter to the All-Rookie Team.
He also assisted seniors including
Mike Baird, Peter LaFosse, and
Louie Educateto with their tyransition to play professionally in the Southern Professional Hockey League since the end of the collegiate hockey season. Baird and LaFosse were both picked up by the Fayetteville FireAntz and Educate was signed by the Knoxville Ice Bears.
In the classroom, eight student-athletes landed on the 2014-2015 ECAC Men's West All-Academic Team for maintaining an average of 3.0 or higher.
Olczyk comes to Utica after having spent last season playing for the
Bloomington Thunder of the Southern Professional Hockey League. During his stint in the professional ranks he played in 54 games.
Prior to turning pro, Olczyk spent four seasons as a student-athlete at Division I UMass-Amherst where he played varsity hockey. In 85 career games played he helped guide the Minutemen to 46 victories. In the Spring of 2010 he was named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team and he was also named to the 2013 Ledyard National Bank Classic All-Tournament Team.
Prior to signing his Division I national letter of intent to attend UMass, he played in 81 games for the Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL) during the 2007-08/2008-09 seasons, recording nine goals and 20 assists. He also played for the Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) where he suited up in 71 games scoring 15 points (11 goals, 4 assists) through 2006-07/2007-08. He was also a member of Team USA that won sliver during the 2006 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in the Czech Republic.
His coaching experience includes spending the last six years as a head instructor at the Chicago Blackhawks Youth Hockey Camps.
He also recently spent three months as a production spotter for NBC Sports where he assisted with game day production operations during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
He was born on June 17, 1989 in Toronto, Ontario to Eddie and Diana Olczyk and he has three siblings, Tommy, Alexandra and Nick. His brother, Tommy, plays hockey at Penn State.
Originally from Long Grove, Illinois, Olczyk currently resides in Utica and is pursuing his master’s degree in education.
