SALAJKO NAMED RED WINGS GOALTENDING COACH
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday named Jeff Salajko the team’s goaltending coach.
A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Salajko spent the past three seasons serving as the goaltending development coach for the Grand Rapids Griffins. Under Salajko’s tutelage from 2013-16 spanning 228 regular season games, Grand Rapids goaltenders showed a combined 136-83-9 record, a 2.44 goals against average, a 0.919 save percentage, and 19 shutouts.
Three Griffins goalies established positions on the franchise’s single-season top 10 list under Salajko’s watch. In 2013-14, Petr Mrazek posted a 2.10 GAA (5th) and a 0.924 save percentage (T5th) while Tom McCollum recorded a career-high 24 wins (8th) and showed a 0.922 save percentage (T10th). In 2014-15, Jared Coreau logged a 2.20 GAA (T9th) and a 0.927 save percentage (3rd). The 2015-16 season saw Coreau earn a career-best 29 victories (T5th), post six shutouts (T1st), execute 1,314 saves (5th), play 2,741:36 minutes (9th) and record a 0.922 save percentage (T10th) while McCollum showed a 0.923 save percentage (T8th).
Grand Rapids was the only team in the AHL in 2015-16 to have two goalies rank in the top 10 for both GAA and save percentage behind McCollum’s 2.42 GAA (T8th) and 0.923 save percentage (3rd) and Coreau’s 2.43 GAA (10th) and 0.922 save percentage (T4th).
Salajko helped a pair of Griffins goalies earn individual accolades in his three seasons. Current Detroit Red Wing Petr Mrazek was named to the 2014 AHL Second All-Star Team while Coreau was named the AHL’s Goaltender of the Month in December 2015.
Originally San Jose’s 10th choice (236th overall) in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Salajko enjoyed a seven-year goaltending career between the ECHL, AHL and International Hockey League and appeared in 323 games from 1996-2003.
Salajko joined the coaching ranks in 2008-09, serving as an assistant coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes for three seasons while focusing primarily on goaltender development. After spending the 2011-12 season as an assistant coach for the Ohio Blue Jackets’ junior teams, he returned to Ohio State to work as a goalie coach for the women’s ice hockey program before joining the Griffins for the 2013-14 season.
Salajko's Coaching Record
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
| Season | Team | League | Position | GP | W | L | T | OTL | SOL | PCT | GP | W | L | PCT |
| 2008-09 | Ohio State | CCHA | Asst. Coach | 42 | 23 | 15 | 4 | -- | -- | 0.595 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2009-10 | Ohio State | CCHA | Asst. Coach | 39 | 15 | 18 | 6 | -- | -- | 0.462 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2010-11 | Ohio State | CCHA | Asst. Coach | 37 | 15 | 18 | 4 | -- | -- | 0.459 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2011-12 | Ohio | MEHL | Asst. Coach | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2012-13 | Ohio State-W | WCHA | Goalie Coach | 37 | 19 | 15 | 3 | -- | -- | 0.554 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2013-14 | Grand Rapids | AHL | Goalie Coach | 76 | 46 | 23 | -- | 2 | 5 | 0.651 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0.500 |
| 2014-15 | Grand Rapids | AHL | Goalie Coach | 76 | 46 | 22 | -- | 6 | 2 | 0.658 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 0.563 |
| 2015-16 | Grand Rapids | AHL | Goalie Coach | 76 | 44 | 30 | -- | 1 | 1 | 0.592 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0.556 |
Salajko's Playing Record
| Regular Season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | O/T | GAA | SO | GP | W | L | GAA | SO |
| 1992-93 | Ottawa | OHL | 29 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1993-94 | Ottawa | OHL | 37 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 3.41 | 2 | 9 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1994-95 | Ottawa | OHL | 11 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 4.44 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Niagara Falls | OHL | 45 | 13 | 24 | 7 | 4.03 | 1 | 6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 1995-96 | Niagara Falls | OHL | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3.96 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Sarnia | OHL | 35 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 3.64 | 1 | 10 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 1996-97 | Indianapolis | IHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.00 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Columbus | ECHL | 54 | 35 | 14 | 3 | 3.35 | 1 | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 1997-98 | Kansas City | IHL | 26 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 3.15 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Columbus | ECHL | 18 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 2.30 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Wichita | CHL | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 1998-99 | Indianapolis | IHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.75 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Columbus | ECHL | 54 | 30 | 16 | 6 | 3.16 | 2 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Portland | AHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5.25 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 1999-00 | Manitoba | IHL | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.16 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Arkansas | ECHL | 48 | 14 | 30 | 1 | 4.17 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 2000-01 | Manitoba | IHL | 11 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2.51 | 0 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Arkansas | ECHL | 47 | 24 | 13 | 8 | 2.79 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 2001-02 | Arkansas | ECHL | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3.35 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Manitoba | AHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9.00 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Reading | ECHL | 23 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 2.94 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Peoria | ECHL | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2.46 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Charlotte | ECHL | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 2002-03 | Charlotte | ECHL | 18 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 3.67 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Jacksonville | ACHL | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4.03 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| AHL TOTALS | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6.50 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| IHL TOTALS | 43 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 2.89 | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| PRO TOTALS | 323 | 148 | 125 | 31 | 3.25 | 12 | 22 | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||