Utica tabs former Massachusetts forward Olczyk as new assistant coach

Utica has named Eddie Olczyk as the new men’s assistant coach.

Olczyk, son of former NHL player and coach Ed Olczyk and brother of Penn State senior captain Tommy Olczyk, will assist Pioneers’ head coach Gary Heenan with all facets of the program, including practice and game preparation, recruiting and office management.

“Eddie has been surrounded by the game of hockey his entire life and he has a bright coaching future ahead of him,” said Heenan in a news release. “His experiences as a player at all levels of hockey will certainly benefit our student-athletes. We are excited to welcome him into the UC family and we can’t wait to get to work.”

Olczyk comes to Utica after having spent last season playing for the Bloomington Thunder of the Southern Professional Hockey League. Prior to turning pro, Olczyk spent four seasons at Massachusetts from 2009 to 2013, recording four goals and six points in 85 games.

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.