Photo: Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images
The Vegas Golden Knights have named Ryan Craig head coach of the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.
Craig, 41, joined the Golden Knights’ staff as an assistant coach in 2017 prior to their inaugural season and spent six seasons with Vegas, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018 and the franchise’s first championship earlier this month.
Craig spent nine of his 14 professional seasons as an AHL team captain, serving in that role in Springfield, Norfolk, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Cleveland and captaining the Monsters to a Calder Cup championship in 2016. He appeared in 711 career games in the AHL and totaled 172 goals and 188 assists for 360 points.
Craig was also a two-time winner of his team’s IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award, and was selected to captain the Western Conference team at the 2017 AHL All-Star Classic in Lehigh Valley.
A 2002 draft pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Craig appeared in 198 National Hockey League contests with Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and Columbus.
