Joe Selenski

Joe Selenski
Born 1955 or 1956 (age 70–71)[1]
Marlton, New Jersey
Coaching career 1986–1989

Joe Selenski (born c. 1955) is a former minor league hockey coach and general manager. Following his coaching career, he became a minister in the North Country of Upstate New York.

Coaching career

Atlantic Coast Hockey League (1985–1986)

Selenski got his start as a head coach midway through the inaugural season (1985–86) of the New York Slapshots of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL). He was serving as the team's assistant general manager and took over the coaching duties from Dave Schultz after the team's unexpected move to Virginia so Schultz could remain with his family in New Jersey.[2] Selenski had previously crossed paths with Schultz while he spent three years serving as the director of coaching with the Gladiator Youth Hockey Club in Voorhees Township, New Jersey when Schultz took over as the coach of his son's team.[3][4] On February 18, 1986, Selenski and assistant trainer Paul Litz ended up having to play in a game against the Carolina Thunderbirds when five of his players were out with the flu; Selenski was assessed a minor penalty for cross-checking in the second period of the game, which the Slapshots lost by a score of 14–2.[5][6][7]

Selenski then served as the coach and general manager with the Troy Slapshots following the team's relocation to Troy, New York. However, the Slapshots would see limited action in the 1986–87 ACHL season, playing only six games. Shortly after the ACHL voted to drop the Slapshots and not have a dispersal draft, instead giving the Mohawk Valley Comets the rights to all the players on the Slapshots roster for a period of ten days, the Comets would fire their coach (Bill Horton) and replace him with Selenski,[8][9] who assumed the dual role of coach and general manager. The Comets would go 22-22-3 under Selenski and make the playoffs. However, the Comets would eventually lose to the Virginia Lancers four games to three in the Payne Trophy Finals.[10] After the completion of the 1986–87 ACHL season, the Comets transferred to the AHL and were later rebranded as the Utica Devils, and the ACHL was folded by Commissioner Ray Miron.[11]

Pacific Northwest Hockey League (1987)

In July 1987, Selenski was hired as the coach and general manager of the Bellingham Bulls, a franchise based in in Bellingham, Washington that was to play in the Pacific Northwest Hockey League.[12] The league suspended operations the week before the season was supposed to start,[13] leaving Selenski without a job and between $5,000 and $6,000 in debt.[14]

All-American Hockey League (1987–1988)

Without a team to coach at the start of the 1987–88 season, Selenski headed to Johnstown, Pennsylvania to negotiate the foundation of a hockey team in the newly formed All-American Hockey League. On December 27, 1987, Selenski - along with future team owner Henry Brabham - walked into Dennis Grenell's office at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena and inquired about potentially putting a new franchise in the city. Selenski expected to be able to field team by the start of the following season, but Grenell said he wanted a team "right now".[15] Within two weeks, Selenski was able to find uniforms from a Canadian vendor and field a team based on old players who he had coached while in the ACHL. The Johnstown Chiefs went 13-13-0 in the regular season and qualified for the playoffs, but would eventually lose to the Carolina Thunderbirds. Selenski was named the league's coach of the year,[16] but was not re-signed after the post-season.

ECHL (1988–1989)

During the 1988–89 season, Selenski was brought in as a midseason replacement after the Carolina Thunderbirds fired head coach Brian Carroll on Christmas Eve. Selenski took over coaching duties at the end of December and submitted his resignation on February 17, 1989, indicating that burnout was his reason for leaving and that he would not coach again.[1] Selenski was credited with launching the professional hockey career of Nick Vitucci and called him the night he was hired inviting him to join the Thunderbirds because he had been impressed by the goaltender's play at the Johnstown Chiefs training camp.[17][18]

While in Carolina, Selenski also coached several players who would reach the NHL in various capacities. Forward Bill Huard would later go on to play over 200 games in the NHL with five different teams.[19] Scott Allen would later coach in the ECHL and AHL for 13 years before assuming the position of Assistant Coach for the New York Islanders at the start of the 2010-11 NHL season.[20] Goaltender Toby O'Brien would later become a scout supervisor for the New York Islanders' affiliates in Bridgeport and Utah.[21] Allen and O'Brien would also go on to coach the Johnstown Chiefs, a team that Selenski coached during the team's inaugural 1987–88 season.

Post-hockey career

Selenski was ordained as a American Baptist Churches pastor in 1996. He served as pastor of the First Baptist Church in Malone, New York before becoming pastor of Lifeway Community Church in North Bangor, New York.[22] He also founded the Barnabas House Homeless Shelter in Malone and served as its director for ten years.[22][23] [24]

References

  1. ^ a b Kibler, Dan (February 19, 1989). "Selenski Announces Resignation In Letter to Thunderbirds' Officials". Winston-Salem Journal. p. D9. Retrieved March 21, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Berger, Michael A. (January 31, 1986). "Slapshots moving to Virginia". Staten Island Advance. pp. D1, D6. Retrieved March 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Didinger, Ray (February 14, 1985). "Schultz Enforcing Sportsmanship". Philadelphia Daily News. ProQuest 1823011893.
  4. ^ Carty, Jack (July 26, 1987). "Jackstraws". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. p. G13. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  5. ^ "T-birds Blast Defenseless Slapshots 14-2". Winston-Salem Journal. February 19, 1986. p. 22. Retrieved March 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Carolina pounds ailing Slapshots". The Roanoke Times. February 19, 1986. p. D3. Retrieved March 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "New York Slapshots 1985-86 roster and statistics". hockeyDB.com. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  8. ^ Kane, Mike (November 19, 1986). "Slapshots Die After Just Six Games; Leave Few Memories, Some Bills". Schenectady Gazette. p. 33. Retrieved March 17, 2026 – via Google News.
  9. ^ HockeyDB.com http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/multicoach.php?tid=209&season=1987. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ^ Mancuso, Jim (2006). Hockey in the Capital District. Arcadia Publishing. p. 20. ISBN 0736051236.
  11. ^ "News in brief | Sports | Elsewhere". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. July 25, 1987. p. 3c.
  12. ^ Donaldson, Jim (July 23, 1987). "Hockey team hires new coach". The Bellingham Herald. p. D1. Retrieved March 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Hockey dream collapses". The Bellingham Herald. December 27, 1987. p. D7. Retrieved March 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Carberry, Jim (October 18, 1987). "Bulls' financial troubles leave coach without money, faith". The Bellingham Herald. p. D3. Retrieved March 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Mastovich, Mike (2010-03-30). "History of the Chiefs: 1980s". The Tribune-Democrat. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  16. ^ Carty, Jack (May 23, 1988). "Cherry Hill's Selenski named coach of year". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. p. C5. Retrieved March 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Franke, Bernd (January 27, 2005). "'Second chance': Pro coach, ECHL scout host tryout camp for free agents". Welland Tribune. p. B1. ProQuest 359337019.
  18. ^ Burkholder, Ed (January 7, 2006). "Second chance: Nick Vitucci turned opportunity into pro career". Welland Tribune. p. B3. ProQuest 359310230.
  19. ^ "Legends Of Hockey - Bill John Huard". www.legendsofhockey.net. 2011-01-03. Retrieved 2011-01-03.
  20. ^ "Scott Allen | New York Islanders - Assistant Coach". Islanders.com. 2011-01-03. Retrieved 2011-01-03.
  21. ^ "Grizzlies Press Conference: Key Players". UtahGrizzlies.com. 2007-05-22. Retrieved 2011-01-03.
  22. ^ a b "Joe Selenski". Mars Hill Network. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  23. ^ Bryjak, George J. (February 21, 2009). "Homelessness in the North Country". Adirondack Daily Enterprise. pp. 1, 8. Retrieved March 22, 2026 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.
  24. ^ Raymo, Denise A. (April 6, 2015). "Selenski to step away from Barnabas House". Press-Republican. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
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