BY DAVE HELLER
Enquirer Contributor
What at first was just helping keep track of statistics has turned into a new career for Chris Cichocki, who has gone from player to coach.
Cichocki began playing pro hockey in 1984 and has played 68 games in the NHL, with Detroit and New Jersey. He joined the Cyclones in 1992, but his playing time started to dwindle during the 1995-96 season, to the point where he spent more time in the press box than the ice in 1996-97.
While some players will mill around in the stands when they aren't playing, Cichocki compiled game statistics. But it wasn't an ideal situation and it led to him having a heart-to-heart talk with head coach Ron Smith.
"I was wondering what my status was and we just started talking and I told him there was an interest from me in the coaching end and it went from there," Cichocki said. "I took (doing stats) as sort of an apprenticeship for this year. I always thought that would lead to maybe an opportunity here, helping out Ron."
Cichocki's coaching interest enabled Smith and assistant coach Al Hill to spend more time on scouting, with Cichocki taking over on the bench for whomever was absent.
Hill wasn't brought back this season and Cichocki was named a full-time assistant. He does 90 percent of the video analysis, runs the optional skate-arounds and helps Smith with drills during practice. Occasionally Smith will put him in charge of the defensemen during a game. Cichocki also acts as a buffer between Smith and the players, not always an easy task, considering that Cichocki was recently a teammate to some of them.
"It's a tough transition because you're with a lot of the guys you played with," Smith said. "Ultimately . . . there's a new crop in two or three years where he's always been a coach."
Don Biggs was a teammate of Cichocki's not only with the Cyclones, but in Binghamton as well. "I played with him for seven years; him sitting behind the bench is kind of strange," Biggs said.
Cichocki's playing days aren't necessarily over. He suited up six times for the Cyclones this season. Smith said it's possible Cichocki could play some next season, although with a likely Cyclones affiliation with Dayton of the East Coast Hocke League, getting backups will be easier.
While he doesn't know if he's played his last game, Cichocki knows he'll be involved with hockey in the future.
"In some capacity, one way or another," he said. "And I'm hoping it's in the coaching ranks, although the job security isn't that great."
CYCLONES: Chris Bergeron, who was expected to join the Cyclones in the playoffs from Columbus, Ga. of the Central Hockey League, didn't get a chance because of his team's participation in the CHL playoffs and a subsequent injury, but he wanted to. But he has a good chance of being a Cyclone next season.
"He's certainly a candidate to be on the team. I don't like talking to anybody who isn't eager to be here," Smith said. "He's so eager and enthusiastic to play. He's the kind of player at times we really needed to have in our lineup."
Smith didn't keep Bergeron around this season because he felt the Cyclones needed more scoring compared to last year. Despite posting 65 goals and 119 points for Columbus this season, Smith said Bergeron hasn't scored much at the IHL level. He has 12 goals in 107 games over four seasons with Cincinnati, including one goal in six games this year.
One of Bergeron's teammates, Olaf Kjenstad, should also get a look next year. He had 55 goals and 125 points this past season, and Smith said he has the toughness to compete at the next level. The Cyclones took a bus to Detroit for their second-round playoff games, while the Vipers flew Roundball One, the NBA Pistons; airplane, to and from Cincinnati. It's a luxury other IHL teams don't have. "Over the long haul of a series, I think that makes a difference," Vipers center and 1997 playoff MVP Peter Ciavaglia said.
