Meet the Sharks EBUG Tonight: Hydrogeologist Justin Kowalkoski

The San Jose Sharks’ backup goalie tonight last played, according to Elite Prospects, in 2008.

Because Yaroslav Askarov was scratched tonight for the tilt at the Philadelphia Flyers with an illness, the Sharks signed their emergency backup goalie Justin Kowalkoski to an amateur tryout agreement. Kowalkoski is currently a Principal Hydrogeologist with Roux, an environmental consulting and management firm.

With Askarov out with an illness, the Sharks have signed Flyers EBUG Justin Kowalkoski to an amateur tryout and will serve as a backup tonight 👀

Kowalkoski was a goalie at Colgate University in the 2000’s and now is Geologist pic.twitter.com/l0FMkzJpbn

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 10, 2025

39-year-old Kowalkoski played parts of three seasons with Colgate University’s hockey team, totaling 18 games. His senior season, he held an .873 save-percentage, averaged 4.32 goals-against, and graduated with a B.A. in Geology. He was teammates with former Ottawa Senators forward Jesse Winchester.

After graduation in 2008, he joined Roux and since “has conducted, managed, or overseen numerous investigations and remediations for a variety of state and federal programs.”

According to Roux’s website, he is a “Professional Geologist in Pennsylvania and a Licensed Site Remediation Professional in New Jersey with specialties in soil and groundwater site investigation and remediation projects that involve complex hydrogeology/bedrock aquifers, DNAPL, LNAPL, vapor intrusion, PCBs, metals, environmental forensics, and emerging contaminants, as well as due diligence support.”

While Kowalkoski’s highest level hockey was in the NCAA, he told NBC Sports Philadelphia in 2020 that he still plays recreationally and occasionally skates with the Flyers when called. He’s even suited up as a backup for the Detroit Red Wings, gotten fully dressed, but didn’t play.

Justin Kowalkoski, tonight's EBUG, is a Geologist at Roux Company, played 4 years at Colgate 2004-08 and is currently playing beer league 2-3 times a week. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/UKAuCJsYH6

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 19, 2018

“Otherwise, I go to my day job like anyone else, come to the Flyers games, and wait for my opportunity if it ever comes,” Kowalkoski told NBC.

Kowalkoski did get his rookie lap tonight!

The #SJSharks give Kowalkoski a rookie lap! pic.twitter.com/YPaqFkp9uT

— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) December 9, 2025

But, Alex Nedeljkovic can hopefully hold things down in net tonight, and delay Kowalkoski’s NHL debut.