| Craig Kowalski | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 15, 1981 Warren, MI |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) |
| Position | Goaltender |
| Catches | Left |
| EIHL team Former teams |
Nottingham Panthers HC Valpellice Lowell Lock Monsters Syracuse Crunch |
| NHL Draft | 235th overall, 2000 Carolina Hurricanes |
| Playing career | 2004–present |
Craig Kowalski (born January 15, 1981, in Warren, Michigan) is an American professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL.
Kowalski's Pro career begun on June 25, 2000, when he was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He was chosen in the eighth round by the Carolina Hurricanes as their seventh overall pick and 235th overall. More than four years after being drafted, on August 6, 2004, Kowalski signed a multi-year contract with the Hurricanes. In 2007, Kowalski was released from a Player Try Out Contract with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, and subsequently signed with the Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL. During the 2007-2008 ECHL Season, he was named to the All-Star Team, and was chosen as the American Conference's starting Goaltender. Prior to the 2008-2009 ECHL Season, Kowalski was traded to the Phoenix RoadRunners of the ECHL, for Bryan Esner and signed on July 22, 2009 an contract with HC Valpellice. On December 3, 2009 he scored an empty net goal against Sportivi Ghiaccio Pontebba. On July 8, 2010 Kowalski was revealed as the new starting netminder for Nottingham Panthers[1] in Great Britain's Elite Ice Hockey League
On March 28, 2011 it was announced that Kowalski had agreed to return to Nottingham for a second season with the Nottingham Panthers in the 2011/12 Elite League campaign