Chris Cichocki

Christopher J. Cichocki
Born	(1963-09-17) September 17, 1963 Detroit, Michigan, United States
Occupation(s)	Ice hockey player, coach, scout
Years active	1985–1998 (player), 1998–2008 (coach), 2009–present (scout)
Known for	NHL right winger for Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils; ECHL coach; scout for Edmonton Oilers

Christopher J. Cichocki (born September 17, 1963) is a former American professional ice hockey right winger. Between 1985 and 1988, he appeared in 68 National Hockey League contests representing the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils. The rest of his playing tenure, which extended until 1998, was mainly spent in various minor leagues. Following his retirement from active play, Cichocki transitioned into coaching within the ECHL and has been employed as a scout for the Edmonton Oilers since 2009.

Minor league hockey

During the 1979–80 season, Cichocki topped the scoring charts for the Grosse Pointe Bruins with an impressive total of 120 points over 70 games. He subsequently competed for two seasons in the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League before enrolling at Michigan Technological University. There, he led the Huskies in scoring during both his sophomore and junior years. In 1983, he participated with Team USA at the World Junior Tournament held in Leningrad. His strong showing secured him a free agent contract with his hometown team, the Detroit Red Wings, signed on June 28, 1985.

Playing in the NHL

Cichocki made his NHL debut with Detroit in the 1985–86 season, appearing in 59 games and amassing 21 points. During the following season, as the Red Wings reorganized their roster to focus around Steve Yzerman and Gerard Gallant, Cichocki’s NHL opportunities diminished. Nevertheless, he delivered a standout performance with Detroit’s AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Red Wings, tallying 65 points across 55 games and aiding their playoff campaign. On March 9, 1987, Detroit traded him to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Mel Bridgman and a draft selection. He completed that season playing seven games for the Maine Mariners, adding four points.

In the seasons that followed, Cichocki primarily suited up for New Jersey’s minor league affiliate, the Utica Devils. He recorded 66 points during the 1987–88 season and followed with 63 points in 1988–89 while making seven NHL appearances for New Jersey. He also contributed an assist during Utica’s brief postseason run in 1989.

On October 31, 1989, Cichocki was traded to the Hartford Whalers organization and joined their AHL affiliate—the Binghamton Whalers (later renamed Binghamton Rangers). Over four seasons there, he accumulated a total of 221 points including three campaigns surpassing fifty points each and participated in playoff series that concluded against division rivals Rochester Americans.

After his contract concluded following the 1992–93 season, Cichocki signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the International Hockey League. Over four seasons with Cincinnati, he tallied 120 points, peaking at 52 points in the 1994–95 campaign; however, he did not experience a finals appearance. After playing six games during the 1997–98 season, he retired on October 23, 1997.

Cichocki the coach

Upon retiring as a player, Cichocki accepted an assistant coaching position with the Cyclones and remained in that capacity until the IHL ceased operations after the 1999–2000 season. During this period, he contributed to back-to-back winning seasons and playoff qualifications. He then advanced to become Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the ECHL’s Arkansas RiverBlades. Under his leadership, they achieved a 34-24-14 record and secured their inaugural playoff berth before exiting in the second round. Over two more successful seasons—including a record-setting 2002–03 campaign with franchise highs in wins and points—Cichocki returned to Cincinnati as Head Coach for the 2003–04 season to an enthusiastic reception from fans. Nonetheless, that year saw the Cyclones finish last in their division with franchise-low point totals before suspending operations in the subsequent season.

After a short break from coaching duties, Cichocki assumed Head Coach responsibilities for the newly established Stockton Thunder in 2005. The team faced initial challenges with an 18-40-14 record but rebounded strongly during the 2006–07 season by posting a 38-22-10 finish—a remarkable improvement of 36 points—and earned Stockton’s first-ever Kelly Cup Playoff appearance where they were eliminated in the semifinals. That same season he was honored by being named coach for the 2007 ECHL All-Star Game and secured a three-year contract extension through to 2010. However, he was relieved of his duties on December 29, 2008.

Presently, Cichocki works as a Pro Scout for the Edmonton Oilers.

Personal life

Cichocki is married to Val, and together they have two children named Quinn and Carly.

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1980–81	Paddock Pools	GLJHL		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1981–82	Paddock Pools	GLJHL		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	Michigan Tech	CCHA		36	12	10	22	10		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Michigan Tech	CCHA		40	25	20	45	36		—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	Michigan Tech	CCHA		40	30	24	54	14		—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		59	10	11	21	21		—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Adirondack Red Wings	AHL		9	4	4	8	6		—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		2	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	Adirondack Red Wings	AHL		55	31	34	65	27		—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	Maine Mariners	AHL		7	2	2	4	0		—	—	—	—	—
1987–88	New Jersey Devils	NHL		5	1	0	1	2
1987–88 AHL season	Utica Devils	AHL		69	36	30	66	66
1988–89 NHL season	New Jersey Devils	NHL		2	0	1	1	2
1988–89 AHL season	Utica Devils	AHL		59	32	31	63	50		5	0	1	1	2
1989–90 AHL season	Utica Devils	AHL		11	3	1	4	10
1989–90	Binghamton Whalers	AHL		60	21	26	47	22
1990–91 AHL season	Binghamton Rangers	AHL		80	35	30	65	70		9	0	4	4	2
1991–92 AHL season	Binghamton Rangers	AHL		75	28	29	57	132		6	5	4	9	4
1992–93 AHL season	Binghamton Rangers	AHL		65	23	29	52	78		9	3	2	5	25
1993–94 IHL season	Cincinnati Cyclones	IHL		69	22	20	42	101		11	2	2	4	12
1994–95 IHL season	Cincinnati Cyclones	IHL		75	22	30	52	50		8	0	3	3	6
1995–96 IHL season	Cincinnati Cyclones	IHL		57	4	7	11	30		14	0	1	1	10
1996–97 IHL season	Cincinnati Cyclones	IHL		35	6	9	15	30		1	0	0	0
1997–98 IHL season	Cincinnati Cyclones	IHL		6	0	0	0
AHL totals				490	215	216	431	461		29	8	11	19	33
NHL totals				68	11	12	23	27		—	—	—	—	—

International

Year	Team	Competition		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1983	United States	WJC		7	0	1	1	0
Junior career totals				7	0	1	1	0