Greg Koehler (born February 27, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He holds the record for shortest career in the National Hockey League (NHL), a 4-second shift on December 29, 2000, and is the only other skater, besides the New York Islanders' Jeff Libby in 1998, whose NHL career spans just a single shift. The rest of his career, which lasted until 2007, was spent in various minor leagues.
Biography As a youth, Koehler played in the 1989 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Toronto Marlboros minor ice hockey team. Ken Dryden devoted the second chapter of his 1989 book Home Game to Greg Koehler and his parents when he was the 13-year-old captain of the Marlboros. The chapter, entitled, Playing fields of Scarborough, focuses on the dreams and stresses of players and family in youth hockey.
Koehler played collegiate hockey for the UMass Lowell River Hawks, winning the Hockey East Rookie of the Year award for the 1996-97 season. Going undrafted, Koehler would become a journeyman player in various minor leagues before retiring in 2007. He did, however, get a brief taste of the NHL on December 29, 2000, playing a 4-second shift for the Carolina Hurricanes against the Columbus Blue Jackets that was ended by a penalty as teammate Ron Francis was hooked by Steve Heinze.
As of 2025, Koehler resides in Toronto working as an HVAC technician and playing men’s league hockey. He has a son, Jaxon, and daughter, Lilly.
Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1992–93 Niagara Falls Canucks GHL 40 24 19 43 125 — — — — — 1993–94 North York Rangers MetJAHL 49 27 47 74 179 — — — — — 1994–95 North York Rangers MetJAHL 48 28 43 71 126 — — — — — 1995–96 Brampton Capitals OPJHL 49 33 64 97 87 — — — — — 1996–97 U Mass-Lowell HE 37 16 20 36 49 — — — — — 1997–98 U Mass-Lowell HE 33 20 17 37 62 — — — — — 1997–98 Beast of New Haven AHL 3 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 1998–99 Beast of New Haven AHL 26 4 0 4 29 — — — — — 1998–99 Florida Everblades ECHL 29 13 14 27 62 6 2 3 5 12 1999–00 Cincinnati Cyclones IHL 74 12 13 25 157 8 0 3 3 14 2000–01 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2000–01 Cincinnati Cyclones IHL 80 35 36 71 122 5 2 2 4 6 2001–02 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL 56 18 18 36 58 — — — — — 2001–02 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 22 8 4 12 34 5 1 2 3 6 2002–03 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 43 16 10 26 51 — — — — — 2002–03 Manchester Monarchs AHL 13 1 13 14 26 — — — — — 2003–04 Elmira Jackals UHL 37 20 26 46 35 — — — — — 2003–04 Syracuse Crunch AHL 2 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 2003–04 San Antonio Rampage AHL 12 1 2 3 4 — — — — — 2003–04 Manchester Monarchs AHL 10 0 2 2 6 4 0 0 0 2 2004–05 Elmira Jackals UHL 44 26 32 58 96 — — — — — 2004–05 Adirondack Frostbite UHL 31 16 24 40 68 6 1 3 4 10 2005–06 Milano Vipers ITA 8 2 2 4 2 — — — — — 2005–06 Adirondack Frostbite UHL 38 20 23 43 84 6 7 2 9 21 2006–07 Chicago Hounds UHL 38 11 16 27 39 — — — — — 2006–07 Bloomington Prairie Thunder UHL 34 4 13 17 42 — — — — — AHL totals 187 48 49 97 212 9 1 2 3 8 UHL totals 222 97 134 231 364 12 8 5 13 31 NHL totals 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
See also List of players who played only one game in the NHL
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