Fighting Saints Add Alex Kromm to the Coaching Staff
The Dubuque Fighting Saints and General Manager & President of Hockey Operations Kalle Larsson announced today the hiring of Alex Kromm as the new Assistant Coach for the 2023-24 season.
“Alex separated himself from a strong pool of candidates with a deep knowledge of the game and an ability to articulate his message. He has grown up around the game and knows the commitment it takes to be a coach. Evan and I are looking forward to working with him and can’t wait to get started this fall.”
-Kirk MacDonald, Fighting Saints Head Coach
Kromm joins the Fighting Saints after spending the past seven seasons playing professionally in the ECHL, most recently with the Tulsa Oilers where he had spent the past three seasons. This will be Kromm’s first job coaching.
“I am honored for the opportunity to join the staff in the role of assistant coach. I’d like to thank Kirk, Evan, and Kalle for this opportunity and for their professionalism through the hiring process. I look forward to working with them, the players, and the rest of the staff this coming season. Dubuque is a first class organization and I am excited to be a part of the culture there!”
-Alex Kromm, Fighting Saints new Assistant Coach
Originally from Penticton, British Columbia, Kromm came to the United States in 2012 to play collegiate hockey at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Kromm played four seasons for the Pointers where he was teammates with Associate Head Coach
Evan Dixon and Zach Badalamenti, whose position he is filling. Zach Badalamenti has joined the NCAA Division 1 Colgate University men's hockey team coaching staff as an assistant. He will join a brand-new staff in upstate New York with the Colgate Raiders for the 2023-24 season. Kromm, like Dixon and Badalamenti, was part of the 2016 National Championship winning team with Stevens Point.
Following his collegiate career, Kromm spent time in both the ECHL and the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), playing for seven different organizations along the way.
Kromm comes from a strong hockey background. His father, Richard, spent parts of nine seasons in the NHL playing for the Calgary Flames and New York Islanders. He retired from playing in 1993 and immediately got into coaching, having gained 19 years of coaching experience and is currently a pro scout for the Chicago Blackhawks. His grandfather, Bobby, was the Head Coach of the Winnipeg Jets (1975-77) and the Detroit Red Wings (1977-80).
The Dubuque Fighting Saints start the 2023-24 pre-season from home on September 8th as they take on the Green Bay Gamblers followed by the Cedar Rapids Roughriders on September 16th. The first official match of the 23/24 season takes place at Dubuque Ice Arena on September 29th against in state rival the Waterloo Blackhawks.