As Kulich became more dedicated to ice skating, he temporarily gave up acting. In his ice skating, he was offered additional encouragement from John Ferguson, Sr., who was a notable Montreal Canadiens' player and frequent audience member of Kulich's games. Ferguson developed an affinity for the boy, and, upon becoming head coach for the New York Rangers, he offered Kulich the opportunity to try out for the team. Kulich failed to make the cut, but soon he began playing for one of the team's minor league farming affiliates at Port Huron, Michigan. Despite the continued possibility of being called up, Kulich opted to retire from professional hockey after a year at 21 years of age.