It’s yet to beryllium official, but each signs constituent to the Vegas Golden Knights promoting Ryan Craig to beryllium their adjacent caput coach.
Craig, the existent manager of the AHL Henderson Silver Knights, volition regenerate John Tortorella erstwhile official.
Tortorella, 67, volition not beryllium brought back aft helium was hired March 29 to regenerate Bruce Cassidy. He led the Knights to a 21-6-1 tally implicit the adjacent two-plus months and a spot successful the Stanley Cup Final.
Here are 5 things to cognize astir Craig:
One of the originals
Craig, 44, has been with the enactment since the beginning. He was hired arsenic an adjunct manager for inaugural manager Gerard Gallant’s unit successful June 2017.
Craig joined the coaching unit caller disconnected a 14-season vocation arsenic an American Hockey League mainstay. He played 711 games successful the AHL and was a skipper astatine galore stops.
Though the Knights transitioned from Gallant to Pete DeBoer and yet Bruce Cassidy, Craig was ever the mainstay connected the staff.
He was the apical adjunct connected unit during the Knights’ tally to their Stanley Cup title successful 2023.
Turning Henderson around
Following the Knights’ championship, Craig was named manager of the Silver Knights successful June 2023.
Craig took implicit duties aft inaugural manager Manny Viveiros was fired aft 3 seasons with the team.
The Silver Knights went from 28 to 29 wins successful Craig’s archetypal 2 years. The 3rd was the payoff, with Henderson going 39-21-7 and making the Calder Cup Playoffs for the archetypal clip since 2022.
They won their archetypal ever Calder Cup Playoff bid successful a two-game expanse of the San Jose Barracuda, but mislaid to the Colorado Eagles successful the 2nd round.
Craig has been astatine the forefront of processing immoderate of the Knights’ uncovered gems that made their NHL debuts this year, including forwards Braeden Bowman and Kai Uchacz.
Familiar with McCrimmon
Craig and wide manager Kelly McCrimmon spell backmost longer than their enactment unneurotic with the Knights.
Craig was skipper of the Brandon Wheat Kings successful 2003 and 2004, the Western Hockey League squad that McCrimmon owned and coached.
In his last season, Craig scored 42 goals and 74 points. He was taken 255th wide by the Tampa Bay Lightning successful 2002.
Played nether Tortorella
Craig made his NHL debut successful the 2005-06 play with the Lightning, coached astatine the clip by Tortorella.
Craig had 15 goals and 28 points successful 48 games with the Lightning successful his archetypal pro season.
He spent 7 years with the enactment earlier joining the Pittsburgh Penguins, whom helium played six games with. He played 8 much games implicit 2 years with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
In total, Craig played 198 NHL games and scored 31 goals.
Carved a career
But it was the AHL wherever Craig had the astir success.
A nine-time skipper successful the improvement league, Craig led the Lake Erie Monsters to a Calder Cup title successful 2016.
Craig totaled 172 goals and 360 points during a 12-year tally successful the AHL, racking up 554 punishment minutes.
Craig was a halfway successful his playing days. He was successful complaint of the forwards portion with the Knights. He played a important relation successful helping the likes of Jack Eichel and Chandler Stephenson go pugnacious to look successful the faceoff circle.
Contact Danny Webster astatine dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 connected X.
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