LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Ryan Craig has been named head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights after spending the last three years leading the team’s AHL affiliate in Henderson.
Craig described the experience as a whirlwind since his appointment was announced.
“Very grateful, very humbled, very honored to be named head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights,” Craig said. “I’m ready to get to work.”
Nine-year journey with organization
Craig joined the Golden Knights organization nine years ago after winning a Calder Cup championship with Cleveland in 2016. He played one more year before transitioning to coaching.
“I don’t think I necessarily envisioned this nine years later after joining Vegas, but you just do your job, be yourself,” Craig said.
Three years ago, after the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in 2023, Craig moved to Henderson with the goal of becoming an NHL head coach.
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Leading a championship-caliber room
Craig served as captain in multiple teams during his playing career and continued that leadership with the Silver Knights. He said he is confident stepping into a Golden Knights locker room that came within one win of another Stanley Cup.
“I’m confident in myself. I’m confident in our group. I’m confident in the people that are in the room as individuals,” Craig said. “I understand that we don’t just get back to where they finished. There’s a lot of hard work and ups and downs that we’re going to go through as the season progresses, but it’ll be worth it to have a chance to compete at the end.”
Managing emotions and relationships
During his introductory press conference, Craig said a head coach must be a thermostat, taking and understanding the temperature of the team.
“It’s easy to get emotional because we all care. We’re all competitive,” Craig said. “I think one of the jobs of the head coach is to manage emotions, manage obviously your individual emotions, but that of your team.”
Craig said messaging is important in a room that includes captain Mark Stone and other veteran leaders. He emphasized the importance of developing relationships so accountability and communication flow smoothly.
“Our job and my job and my staff’s job is to develop relationships so that when the temperature does rise, and people are held accountable, or things happen, we just continue to push forward with the ultimate goal in mind,” Craig said.
Craig said his nine years with the organization put him in a unique position heading into training camp.
“The players that were here in 23 when we won, the players that I’ve coached, whether it’s this year or over the last three years in Henderson, they understand who Ryan Craig is,” Craig said. “The ones that don’t will have conversations, get to know each other. But overall, I’m ahead of the curve because of having been here for nine years and understanding the standards, the culture, the expectations.”
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