Taylor Raszka, who played nearly 100 professional hockey games over three seasons before retiring, has been named coach of the Monroe United hockey team comprised of players from Monroe and Jefferson High schools.        Raszka, 26, a native of Petersburg and one of only a handful of Monroe

County natives ever to play pro hockey, played for the Toledo Storm, Columbia

Inferno and Dayton Bombers in the ECHL and the Austin Ice Bats in the Central Hockey League.  Raszka was a member of the last-ever Toledo Storm team in the 2006-2007 hockey season.  Prior to his pro career, Raszka played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, the top amateur hockey league in North America. 

     The Monroe United team will play its home games at the Monroe MultiSport Complex, starting next month. 

     He is believed to be the first former pro athlete ever to be a head coach of a sport at Monroe High School.  This year he will be assisted on the bench by Toledo Walleye defenseman Phil Rauch, 26, who once played at the Monroe Multi-Sport Complex as a member of junior hockey’s Toledo Cherokee.  He also played four years of hockey at Canisius College.

     Although this is his first high school head coaching job, he is no stranger to coaching young hockey players.  He operates his own hockey school and has worked in hockey camps during the off season for a number of years.