Abbotsford’s Ryan Craig has been named the new head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights.
Henderson is the American Hockey League affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights – the club that Craig has been an assistant coach with since the team first was established in 2017-18.
Craig and the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup earlier this month by defeating the Florida Panthers 4-1.
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“I am excited for the opportunity to lead the Silver Knights and know we have the ingredients for success in place in Henderson,” Craig stated in a press release. “I believe my playing and coaching experiences, highlighted by this year’s Stanley Cup run, have prepared me well for this next step in my career. My family and I thank the Las Vegas community for being so welcoming during the last six years and appreciate the chance to remain here moving forward.”
Keeping it in the family 🤗 We’re proud to share that Ryan Craig has been promoted to Head Coach of the Henderson Silver Knights!#HomeMeansHenderson | #VegasBorn https://t.co/itV32qiy2z
— Henderson Silver Knights (@HSKnights) June 26, 2023
Craig, a 2000 W. J. Mouat Secondary grad, played minor hockey in Abbotsford. After his years in Abbotsford, he joined the Brandon Wheat Kings and collected 268 points in 302 games in the Western Hockey League. He served as team captain for his final two seasons in Brandon.
Craig was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the eighth round (255th overall) of the 2002 NHL draft. He then spent seasons in the AHL and the ECHL before earning an opportunity with the Lightning in the 2005-06 season.
That season was his most productive as an NHL-er, scoring 15 goals and 28 points in 48 games with the Lightning. The following season, he scored 14 goals and 27 points with Tampa. He would spend the rest of his career moving back and forth between the AHL and the NHL and making stops with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets organizations.
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He served as captain for the AHL’s Springfield Falcons, Norfolk Admirals, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Lake Erie/Cleveland Monsters. He captured the Calder Cup with the Monsters in 2015-16.
Craig’s NHL totals were 63 points in 198 games and his AHL numbers were 360 points in 711 games. He retired from the game to take on the role of assistant coach with the Golden Knights on June 9, 2017.
“I have tremendous respect for Ryan Craig as both a person and a professional and believe we have an ideal coach to lead our team in Henderson,” stated Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon. “He is a proven leader who has learned from some of the game’s best coaches. He understands the importance of the AHL level both in terms of developing our NHL prospects and creating a winning environment.”
The Silver Knights play in the same division as the Abbotsford Canucks and typically make several stops at the Abbotsford Centre every season. Henderson failed to make the playoffs in 2022-23 and finished in ninth place in the AHL’s Pacific Division with a record of 29-38-0-5.
He will be introduced publicly during a news conference on June 30.
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