The New Jersey Devils announced today that the team has hired Mike Zalewski as an Assistant Coach with the organization’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in Utica. The announcement was made by General Manager Sunny Mehta and Assistant General Manager/General Manager of Utica Braden Birch.
Zalewski, 33, completes Utica Head Coach Ryan Parent’s coaching staff, which also includes Assistant Coach Matt Carkner and Goaltending Coach Brian Eklund. The hire marks Zalewski’s first coaching position after concluding his professional playing career.
Zalewski returns to Utica, where he spent the majority of his North American playing career with the Comets, which was with Vancouver’s AHL affiliate at that time. He tallied 63 career points (24g-39a) in 167 regular-season contests from 2014-15 to 2016-17. Zalewski also chipped in four points (1g-3a) in 27 career Calder Cup Playoff games. He registered a career-high 33 points (16g-17a) with Utica during the 2015-16 campaign. An undrafted free agent, Zalewski made his NHL debut with Vancouver on April 12, 2014, and played in six career NHL games all with Vancouver.
He later spent three seasons playing in Germany’s top professional league (DEL), from 2017-18 until 2020-21, where he played for Straubing and Cologne (Kölner Haie). Zalewski also spent three seasons playing professionally in Austria with Vienna in 2019-20, Graz99ers and EC-KAC. He finished his professional career with EC-KAC in 2022-23.
Born on August 18, 1992, in New Hartford, NY, Zalewski played junior in both the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) and the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). He played with Syracuse (EJHL) in 2009-10 and played two seasons in the BCHL with Vernon from 2010-11 to 2011-12. He helped Vernon win a BCHL title during the 2010-11 campaign, after he recorded eight points (5g-3a) in 16 playoff games.
Zalewksi also played two seasons in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at Rensselaer Polytech Institution (RPI) from 2012-13 to 2013-14. He was a top five points leader during both seasons at RPI and totaled 47 career points (21g-26a) in 71 contests.
