Michael Gurska was hired as an assistant men's ice hockey coach at Babson College in July 2025.
Gurska comes to Babson after spending the last three seasons with the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the premier junior hockey league in the United States. Originally hired as the team’s director of operations prior the 2022-23 campaign, he was promoted to an assistant coach and the director of player development ahead of the 2023-24 season.
The Steel had three players selected in last month’s National Hockey League (NHL) Draft and have had 14 players picked during Gurska’s three-year tenure. Additionally, 24 players from Chicago’s 2024-25 squad earned Division I scholarships.
During Gurska’s three years with the Steel, the organization made a pair of USHL playoff appearances and advanced to the conference final in 2023.
A native of Revere, Mass., Gurska joined the coaching ranks following a decorated career as a defenseman at Wilkes University from 2018-22. A member of the first team in program history, he earned All-United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) honors in both 2020 and 2022, and was a American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) All-America East second-team selection in 2020.
Gurska produced 12 goals and 63 assists for 75 points in 92 career games and ranks first in program history among defensemen in scoring. A three-time captain, he helped the Colonels reach the UCHC Tournament final for the first time in 2020 and again as a senior in 2022 while setting a single-season program record with 20 wins.
Following his senior season, Gurska played nine games for the Birmingham Bulls in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) producing a goal and four assists for five points.
In addition to his coaching experience, Gurska has worked Clear Sight Analytics breaking down NHL games since 2016.
