Jarrod Skalde

Jarrod Skalde
Jarrod Skalde
Born	February 26, 1971 (age 55); Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s)	Ice hockey player, coach
Years active	1987–2007 (player), coaching career active as of 2022

Jarrod Skalde (born February 26, 1971) is a former Canadian ice hockey player and current coach hailing from Niagara Falls, Ontario. Most recently, he held the position of head coach for the Slovak club Vlci Žilina competing in the Tipos Slovenská hokejová liga, with the objective of elevating the team to the Tipos extraliga for the 2022–2023 campaign.

Junior hockey

Selected 15th overall by the Oshawa Generals in the 1987 OHL Priority Selection, Skalde began his junior career in the 1987–88 season, registering 12 goals and 28 points across 60 games. He also contributed two goals and three points during seven postseason contests.

In the following 1988–89 season, Skalde enhanced his performance by netting 38 goals and accumulating 76 points in 65 games, placing him fourth in team scoring. He added one goal and six points through six playoff appearances.

The 1989–90 season marked further advancement as Skalde tallied 40 goals and 92 points over 62 games, playing a key role in securing the Leyden Division’s top spot for Oshawa. During the playoffs, he amassed 10 goals and 17 points in 17 games, helping the Generals capture the J. Ross Robertson Cup and earn a berth in the 1990 Memorial Cup. At that tournament, he contributed two goals and five points in four matches as Oshawa claimed the championship title.

Skalde commenced the 1990–91 season with Oshawa, recording eight goals and 22 points in just 15 games before being traded to the Belleville Bulls in exchange for Rob Pearson. He completed the season with Belleville by scoring 30 goals and totaling 82 points in 40 games, ranking second on his new team and tenth overall in OHL scoring. Combining both teams’ stats, he finished with 38 goals and 104 points over 55 games. In six playoff contests, he added nine goals and 15 points. His outstanding play earned him a spot on the OHL First All-Star team that year.

New Jersey Devils

Chosen by the New Jersey Devils as the 26th overall pick in the second round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, Skalde made his NHL debut on October 7, 1990. In that game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which resulted in a 7–4 loss, he registered an assist—his only NHL appearance that season. Additionally, he played three games with the Utica Devils (AHL), tallying three goals and five points.

During the 1991–92 campaign, Skalde primarily competed with Utica in the AHL, where he scored 20 goals and collected 40 points over 62 games. He also appeared in 15 NHL games, scoring his first NHL goal on March 4—a game-winning tally against Mike Richter of the New York Rangers during a 5–4 victory. He concluded that NHL season with two goals and six points, while adding three goals and four points across four AHL playoff matches.

In the 1992–93 season, Skalde notched 21 goals and amassed 60 points across 59 games for Utica. During five AHL playoff appearances, he contributed two assists. He also featured in eleven NHL contests for New Jersey, recording two points. Additionally, he played four games with the Cincinnati Cyclones (IHL), scoring one goal and totaling three points.

On June 24, 1993, Skalde was left exposed during the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft and was subsequently selected by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim

Throughout most of the 1993–94 campaign, Skalde suited up for the San Diego Gulls (IHL), where he tallied 25 goals and compiled 63 points over 58 games. He led San Diego’s postseason scoring with three goals and fifteen points across nine playoff matches.

In his NHL tenure during the 1993–94 season with Anaheim, Skalde scored an overtime winner against goaltender Curtis Joseph and the St. Louis Blues during his debut on December 12. Two days later, he recorded his first multi-point game by assisting twice against the Detroit Red Wings. On December 17, he achieved his first multi-goal game by netting two goals versus Darcy Wakaluk of the Dallas Stars. Overall, he finished with five goals and nine points over twenty games for Anaheim.

In the 1994–95 season, Skalde played for the Las Vegas Thunder (IHL), registering thirty-four goals and seventy-five points throughout seventy-four games—ranking third on his team. In nine playoff contests, he added two goals and six points.

Skalde began the 1995–96 campaign with the Baltimore Bandits, producing two goals and eight points across eleven games before being traded by Anaheim to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Bobby Marshall on October 30, 1995.

Calgary Flames

Following his trade to the Calgary Flames, Skalde was sent to their AHL team, the Saint John Flames. Over 68 games, he netted 27 goals and accumulated 67 points, ranking second in team scoring. During the playoffs, Skalde led the squad with 13 points across 16 games as the Flames fell in the Northern Conference finals.

Skalde made a single NHL appearance for Calgary during the 1995–96 campaign but did not register any points.

In the 1996–97 season, Skalde spent the entire year with Saint John, topping the team charts with 32 goals and 68 points in 65 contests. He failed to score in three playoff matches. After this season concluded, Skalde entered free agency.

1997–98 season

Skalde made his first appearance for the San Jose Sharks on October 25, assisting in a 4–3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. He scored his inaugural goal for San Jose on November 12 against goaltender Arturs Irbe of the Vancouver Canucks. Across 22 games, he recorded four goals and ten points. On January 8, Skalde was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Blackhawks.

He debuted for Chicago on January 10 and contributed his sole point for the team with an assist on January 15. San Jose reclaimed him off waivers on January 23; however, shortly after, he was placed on waivers again and picked up by the Dallas Stars on January 27.

Skalde had one appearance for Dallas on February 4 without scoring. On February 10, Chicago reclaimed him via waivers; he played an additional three games without registering points. On March 6, San Jose reclaimed Skalde once more. During this time, he also appeared in two games for Chicago’s IHL affiliate, the Indianapolis Ice, scoring twice. He wrapped up the season with San Jose's AHL affiliate, the Kentucky Thoroughblades, where he played 23 games, tallying five goals and 20 points, along with three goals in three playoff contests.

San Jose Sharks

In the 1998–99 campaign, Skalde primarily played for Kentucky, posting 17 goals and a total of 57 points over 54 games. He added four goals and nine points during 12 playoff matches. In the NHL that season, he appeared in 17 games for San Jose, scoring one goal and amassing two points. Upon completion of the season, Skalde entered free agency once again.

Utah Grizzlies

For the 1999–00 season, Skalde signed with the Utah Grizzlies of the IHL. He led the team with an impressive total of 25 goals and 54 assists, amounting to 79 points across 77 games. In five playoff appearances, he recorded one assist. His outstanding performance secured him a place on the IHL First All-Star team. Following this season, Skalde became a free agent.

Atlanta Thrashers

On July 21, 2000, Skalde inked a deal with the Atlanta Thrashers, making his debut on October 7 during a 2–1 loss to the New York Rangers. He earned his first point for Atlanta on October 17 with an assist in a 3–3 draw against the New Jersey Devils, and netted his first goal for the team on October 25 against goaltender Joaquin Gage of the Edmonton Oilers in a 3–1 victory. Over 19 games, Skalde recorded one goal and three points.

Throughout most of the 2000–01 season, Skalde played primarily for Atlanta’s IHL affiliate, the Orlando Solar Bears, where he scored 14 goals and totaled 54 points over 60 games. He contributed three goals and nine points during 15 playoff contests as Orlando captured the Turner Cup championship.

During the 2001–02 campaign, Skalde was assigned to Atlanta’s AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, posting totals of 15 goals and 52 points in 64 games. On March 5, 2002, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Joe DiPenta.

Philadelphia Flyers

During the 2001–02 campaign, Skalde played for the Flyers' American Hockey League team, the Philadelphia Phantoms, where he notched four goals and accumulated eight points across 16 contests. Additionally, he contributed two assists in four postseason appearances. In the same season, Skalde made a single NHL appearance with the Philadelphia Flyers, remaining scoreless in a 3–1 defeat against the Buffalo Sabres on April 1. After the conclusion of this season, he entered free agency.

Later career

For the 2002–03 season, Skalde signed with HC Lausanne competing in Switzerland's top-tier National League A (NLA), where he tallied seven goals and totaled 15 points over 23 games.

On July 17, 2003, Skalde agreed to terms with the Dallas Stars and was subsequently assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Utah Grizzlies, for the 2003–04. He emerged as the leading scorer for Utah, registering 23 goals and 58 points in 77 games before becoming a free agent once more.

Skalde inked a deal with the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, on July 28, 2004. Due to the NHL lockout that canceled the entire season, he instead played for their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, where he scored one goal and contributed six points in 15 games. Later that year, he was loaned back to the Utah Grizzlies, adding seven goals and 22 points over 56 contests. Subsequently, Skalde was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Jason Jaspers before entering free agency again.

In the 2005–06 season, Skalde competed with Leksands IF in Sweden’s Elite League (SEL), posting four goals and nine points across 36 games while accumulating notable penalty minutes. He also made two appearances with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL during that period, recording one goal and three points.

During the 2006–07 season, Skalde played for Japan’s Oji Eagles in the Asia League Ice Hockey (ALIH), where he amassed 15 goals and a total of 47 points in 34 regular-season games, along with two goals in four playoff contests.

The following year featured a brief tenure with Slovenia's HK Acroni Jesenice, where he scored one goal in three regular-season matches and added one goal plus three points in six postseason games.

Skalde wrapped up his professional playing career in 2008 by appearing in ten games for the Bloomington Prairie Thunder, part of the then-new International Hockey League (UHL), finishing with five goals and nine points.

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season

Playoffs

Season

Team

League

GP

G

A

Pts

PIM

GP

G

A

Pts

PIM

1986–87

Fort Erie Meteors

GHL

41

27

34

61

36

—

1987–88

Oshawa Generals

OHL

60

12

16

28

24

7

2

1

3

2

1988–89

Oshawa Generals

OHL

65

38

76

36

6

1

5

6

2

1989–90

Oshawa Generals

OHL

62

40

52

92

66

17

10

7

17

6

1990–91

New Jersey Devils

NHL

1

0

1

0

—

1990–91

Oshawa Generals

OHL

15

8

14

22

14

—

1990–91

Belleville Bulls

OHL

40

30

52

82

21

6

9

6

15

10

1990–91

Utica Devils

AHL

3

2

5

0

—

1991–92

Utica Devils

AHL

62

20

40

56

4

3

1

4

8

1991–92

New Jersey Devils

NHL

15

2

4

6

4

1992–93

New Jersey Devils

NHL

11

0

2

4

1992–93 |Cincinnati Cyclones |IHL |4

1

2

3

-

1992–93 |Utica Devils |AHL |59

21

39

60

- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

1993–94 |Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |NHL |20

5

4

9

-

1993–94 |San Diego Gulls (1995–2006) |IHL |57

25

38

63

- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

1994–95 |Las Vegas Thunder |IHL |74

34

41

75

-

1995–96 |Baltimore Bandits |AHL |11

2

6

8

- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

Saint John Flames |AHL |68

27

40

67

-

1995–96 |Calgary Flames |NHL |1

0

- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

1996–97 |Saint John Flames |AHL |65

32

36

68

-

1997–98 |San Jose Sharks |NHL |22

4

6

10

- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

1997–98 |Kentucky Thoroughblades |AHL |23

5

15

20

-

Chicago Blackhawks |NHL |7

0

1

- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

Dallas Stars |NHL |1

0

-

1997–98 |Indianapolis Ice |IHL |2

0

2

- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

1998–99 |San Jose Sharks |NHL |17

1

2

-

1998–99 |Kentucky Thoroughblades |AHL |54

17

40

57

- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

}

Bloomington PrairieThunder

For the 2007-08 season, Skalde took on the role of player-assistant coach with the Bloomington PrairieThunder in the IHL, working alongside head coach Derek Booth. That season, the team concluded in last place among six IHL teams, recording a 31–38–3–4 performance and accumulating 69 points.

Skalde was elevated to head coach for the 2008–09 campaign. Bloomington finished fifth with a 29–40–2–5 tally, totaling 65 points and failing to qualify for the playoffs.

During the 2009–10 season, the team improved slightly to a 31–34–5–6 record, earning 73 points, but again did not reach postseason play.

He stepped down from his head coaching position on August 10, 2010.

Cincinnati Cyclones

Two days later, on August 12, 2010, Skalde was appointed head coach of the Cincinnati Cyclones competing in the ECHL. The Cyclones had experienced major roster changes following their Kelly Cup championship in the 2009–10 and served as affiliates to both the Buffalo Sabres and Nashville Predators.

In his debut season (2010–11), Skalde guided Cincinnati to a 33–29–6–4 record, accumulating 76 points and securing seventh place in the Eastern Conference to enter the playoffs. The Cyclones were eliminated in four games by the Reading Royals during the conference quarter-finals.

The following year (2011–12), with affiliations to the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers, Cincinnati marginally improved to a 35–28–2–7 record (79 points) but finished tenth overall, missing postseason qualification.

Returning for the 2012–13 season, Skalde led Cincinnati to a strong 42–22–5–3 finish, capturing the North Division title with 92 points. The team advanced through playoff rounds by defeating both the Toledo Walleye and Gwinnett Gladiators, before falling to the Reading Royals in the conference finals. Skalde resigned following this campaign.

Norfolk Admirals

Skalde then joined the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL as an assistant coach under Trent Yawney. The Admirals were affiliated with the Anaheim Ducks.

In the 2013–14 season, Norfolk achieved a 40–26–3–7 record (90 points), securing eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. They upset top-seeded Manchester Monarchs in four games but were eliminated by the St. John's IceCaps in six games during the conference semi-finals. Following this, Yawney was promoted to serve as assistant coach for Anaheim, and Skalde was named head coach of Norfolk.

Skalde recorded his inaugural AHL victory as head coach on October 11, 2014, with a narrow 5–4 win over the Hershey Bears. However, during the 2014–15 season, Norfolk struggled significantly, finishing last in the Eastern Conference alongside the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, with a disappointing 27–39–6–4 record (64 points). After that season concluded, Skalde and the Admirals parted ways.

Guelph Storm

Midway through the 2015–16 campaign, Skalde was appointed head coach of the Guelph Storm of the OHL, at a time when they held a dismal 3–27–2–0 record. His coaching debut came on December 29, 2015, where he earned a point despite a 2–1 loss against the Erie Otters. Two days later, he secured his first OHL victory with a 6–4 win over the Peterborough Petes. Under his guidance for the remainder of that season, Guelph improved to a 10–22–2–2 mark but ended with an overall record of 13–49–4–2, finishing at the bottom of the league standings and missing playoff contention.

During the following 2016–17, Skalde continued rebuilding efforts that resulted in a better record of 21–40–5–2 and an accumulation of 49 points—an increase of seventeen points from prior performance. Despite this advancement, Guelph still placed last in the Western Conference and failed to qualify for postseason play. Subsequently, Skalde was relieved of his coaching duties after that season.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

On July 28, 2017, Skalde became part of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, taking on the role of player development coach. Following a single season in this capacity, he earned a promotion to assistant coach for their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, during the 2018–19 campaign, working under head coach Clark Donatelli. The team concluded the season with a 36–30–7–3 record, accumulating 82 points, yet fell short of securing a playoff berth.

Cardiff Devils

With the suspension of the 2020-21 Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) season owing to pandemic-related limitations, Skalde was named head coach of the UK-based EIHL team Cardiff Devils on September 22, 2020, succeeding Andrew Lord. After guiding the Devils for one full season, Skalde was dismissed from his position on April 8, 2022.

Japan men's national team

In 2024, Skalde was appointed as head coach of the Japan men's national ice hockey team, marking a significant step in Japan’s ambitions to advance its competitive status within international ice hockey.

Head coaching record

Team	Year	Regular Season							Post Season
Team	Year	G	W	L	OTL	SOL	Pts	Finish	Result
BLO	2008–09	76	29	40	5	2	66	6th in IHL	Did not qualify
BLO	2009–10	76	31	34	5	6	73	5th in IHL	Did not qualify
CIN	2010–11	72	33	29	6	4	76	3rd in North	Lost in first round
CIN	2011–12	72	35	28	2	7	79	3rd in North	Did not qualify
CIN	2012–13	72	42	22	5	3	92	1st in North	Lost in third round
NOR	2014–15	76	27	39	6	4	64	5th in East	Did not qualify
GUE	2015–16	36	10	22	2	2	24	5th in Midwest	Did not qualify
GUE	2016–17	68	21	40	5	2	49	5th in Midwest	Did not qualify
AHL Total		76	27	39	6	4	64
ECHL Total		216	110	79	13	14	247
IHL Total		152	60	74	10	8	138
OHL Total		104	31	62	7	4	73