The American Hockey League affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club, the Colorado Eagles, has appointed Matt Zaba as the goaltending coach and Kim Weiss as the video coach.
“We’re excited to have Matt and Kim join the Eagles coaching staff,” stated Kevin McDonald, general manager of the Avalanche and the Eagles. The team led by Head Coach Aaron Schneekloth will benefit greatly from the exceptional coaching and playing experiences that both bring to the table.
Zaba, 41, was the goalie coach for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL for seven seasons before joining the Eagles. Under his leadership, the Storm won three USHL Goaltender of the Year titles and finished the regular season with a 237-128-24-19 record from 2017–24. Two of Zaba’s goalies were drafted into the NHL as well.
He worked as a volunteer assistant coach at Colorado College from 2015 to 2017 before to joining the Storm.
Zaba, who was born and raised in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, played eight years in the NHL, ending on January 23, 2010, during his time with the New York Rangers. Along with playing 31 ECHL games and 66 AHL games with the Hartford Wolf Pack, he concluded his career with a championship triumph in the Italian Hockey League and a spell in the ICE Hockey League of Austria.
Zaba played college hockey at Colorado College from 2003-07 and was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the eighth round of the 2003 NHL Draft.
Weiss, 35, previously served as a guest coach for the Avalanche during the 2023-24 season, assisting with development camps, training camp, and various regular-season sessions. Her recent role was as an Assistant Coach for the Trinity College Men’s Hockey team, which finished as the NCAA DIII runner-up. Weiss has also coached with the NAHL’s Maryland Black Bears and the AAA Washington Pride.
A member of the NHL Coaches Association Female Coaches Program, Weiss is involved with USA Hockey’s player development camps and Coaching Education Program. She holds a USA Hockey Level 5 certification and graduated from Georgetown Visitation School in Washington, DC.
Weiss played college hockey at Trinity College from 2007-11, serving as team captain and earning multiple accolades, including first-team All-American and NESCAC Player of the Year in 2010-11. She led the Bantams to their first NCAA Tournament appearance and remains the program’s all-time leading scorer.