Salve Regina has announced that Jay Punsky has been named men’s hockey head coach.
Punsky, a 2007 Salve graduate, returns to his alma mater to lead the Seahawks men’s hockey team. As the head coach of the Islanders Hockey Club and the Boston Bandits, he led teams that achieved accolades including USPHL Premier national championship runner-up, two Premier national championship final four appearances, three Premier New England Division championship titles and five Elite national championship appearances in a row. Punsky is a four-time USPHL all-star coach award winner and was named NA3EHL coach of the year in 2015-16.
“It is always special to bring an alum back to campus, especially in a key leadership role,” said Salve Regina director of athletics Dr. Sean Sullivan in a statement. “We have a proud and successful men’s hockey history at Salve Regina and given the competitive success Jay’s teams have had year in and year out, his impressive ability to fully develop his student-athletes, and his firsthand understanding of our university, Coach Punsky is uniquely prepared to lead our men’s program to even loftier heights. We are thrilled to offer Jay the opportunity to return to campus and we look forward to seeing his leadership skills take root and support the building of tremendously impactful experiences for our men’s team members.”
Punsky’s successful track record at both the collegiate and junior levels includes leading Worcester State to back-to-back MASCAC postseason appearances MASCAC in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
“I’m thrilled to contribute to the continued growth and success of the Salve Regina’s men’s ice hockey program,” said Punsky. “As a Seahawk myself, it’s an honor to return to Newport to share my experiences and knowledge in addition to being a part of Salve’s close-knit community again.”