Former Wolverines standout Mike Komisarek joins UM staff as undergrad assistant

By @MichaelCaples –

Red Berenson and the Michigan Wolverines hockey program announced today that one of their former players is returning as an undergraduate student assistant.

Mike Komisarek, who played two seasons in Ann Arbor before starting an 11-year NHL career, retired from professional hockey this summer and returned to the University of Michigan to finish his undergraduate degree.

Now, he’s going to rejoin the Wolverines’ hockey program.

“This is a great opportunity to give back to the University of Michigan, which has given me so much,” Komisarek said in a release. “Coach Berenson and the Michigan Hockey program set a foundation for me as a person and as a player. This is an opportunity to get my degree and help the team out and share my experiences. There are very few opportunities in life that are truly a win-win situation, and this is definitely one of them.”

Komisarek, also a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, played 81 games with Michigan, recording 46 career points and a plus-41 rating. In his second season, he was named to the AHCA All-America West First Team, along with being named the CCHA’s Best Defensive Defenseman.

The Islip Terrace, New York, native played in 551 NHL games with Montreal, Toronto and Carolina.