The Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday named Jeff Salajko the team’s goaltending coach.
A native of Kitchener, Ont., Salajko spent the past three seasons serving as the goaltending development coach for the Grand Rapids Griffins. Under Salajko’s tutelage from 2013-16, Grand Rapids goaltenders showed a combined 136-83-9 record, a 2.44 goals-against average, a .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 .924 save percentage (T-5th) while Tom McCollum recorded a career-high 24 wins (8th) and showed a .922 save percentage (T-10th). In 2014-15, Jared Coreau logged a 2.20 GAA (T-9th) and a .927 save percentage (3rd). The 2015-16 season saw Coreau earn a career-best 29 victories (T-5th), post six shutouts (T-1st), execute 1,314 saves (5th), play 2,741 minutes (9th) and record a .922 save percentage (T-10th) while McCollum showed a .923 save percentage (T-8th).
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 (T-8th) and .923 save percentage (3rd) and Coreau’s 2.43 GAA (10th) and .922 save percentage (T-4th).
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.
