LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Vegas Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon announced Wednesday morning that Ryan Craig has been named the team’s head coach.
Craig, 44, becomes the fifth head coach in Vegas’ history.
Craig spent the past three seasons as head coach of the organization’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. Under Craig, Henderson’s win total increased each season, earning 28 victories in 2023-24, 29 in 2024-25 and 39 in 2025-26, according to the NHL.
Watch VGK General Manager Kelly McCrimmon’s press conference here:
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The Silver Knights finished the 2025-26 regular season with a record of 39-21-12 and 90 points, establishing franchise records in the team’s six years in Henderson. This spring, Craig and the Silver Knights advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs before falling to the Colorado Eagles.
Stanley Cup champion as assistant coach
Prior to his tenure as head coach in Henderson, Craig served as an assistant coach with the Golden Knights for six seasons, from 2017 to 2023. The native of Abbotsford, British Columbia lifted the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023, his final season as an assistant coach.
Craig helped the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five of the six seasons he was with Vegas.
Playing career
Prior to beginning his coaching career, Craig played eight years in the NHL, totaling 198 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets. The forward also played in 711 AHL games and served as captain on nine teams, including the 2015-16 Calder Cup Champion Lake Erie Monsters.
Craig played five seasons from 1998 to 2003 for the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings, where McCrimmon was the team’s owner and general manager. He led the team in scoring twice and served as captain for two years.
In the 2002-03 season, Craig was named to the WHL East First All-Star Team and was the Humanitarian of the Year in both the Canadian Hockey League and Western Hockey League.
Craig was drafted in the eighth round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by Tampa Bay.
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