Tyler Kolarik Hockey History

Tyler Kolarik went to La Salle College High School and played for the Explorers in the 1995-96 season. During that season Tyler led the Explorers in scoring and the team won their first-ever Class AAA Flyers Cup championship title. They fell short of their goal of winning the Pennsylvania State Cup and finished as runner-up. After two years at La Salle, Tyler transferred to Deerfield Academy where he completed his high school career.

1996 Pennsylvania State Cup Championship highlights

Tyler chose Harvard University to complete his education and youth hockey career. In his second season Kolarik and his Harvard University teammates won the ECAC title. Tyler was the hero, netting the game-winner. Harvard’s late-season surge culminated with a 4-3 defeat of Cornell in the ECAC Championship Game at Lake Placid, N.Y. The double-overtime thriller lasted 96:11, making it the longest game in Harvard hockey history.

The Big Red came into the Final Five as the strong favorite, but a hard-working Crimson team took Cornell out of its game plan and fought back from 2-1 and 3-2 deficits to force overtime for the third game in a row.

By then, the pressure of playoff overtimes was old hat for Harvard freshman goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris. He rose to the challenge, making key saves and giving his teammates enough time to come through with the game-winner.

Sophomore Tyler Kolarik played the hero, beating Ken Dryden Award-winner Matt Underhill from the left faceoff circle with 2:49 to play in the second overtime, giving his team its first league title since 1994.

“I thought I caught Underhill by surprise,” said Kolarik, who was playing with a broken thumb. “He was expecting me to drive wide, but I just threw the puck at net with all I had.”

Tyler was drafted by Columbus Blue Jackets in round 5 #150 overall 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He played 2 years for the Blue Jackets organization in the minors splitting time between the AHL and ECHL affiliates.