Ryan Craig Named Head Coach of Vegas Golden Knights

Ryan Craig has officially been named the fifth head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, marking a significant milestone in his coaching career. It’s a remarkable achievement, especially considering the franchise’s brief history since its inception in 2017, during which it has reached the Stanley Cup Final three times.

Craig, a former captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings, takes the helm in Vegas through a familiar connection. His appointment comes from a close associate, completing a coaching journey within the only NHL organization he has ever known.

At 44 years old, Craig joined the Golden Knights as an assistant coach prior to the franchise’s inaugural season in 2017-18. He quickly became an integral part of one of hockey’s most compelling expansion narratives, helping the team reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five of his six seasons in that role. Most notably, he was behind the bench when Vegas clinched its first Stanley Cup championship in 2023.

After his success in the NHL, Craig further honed his coaching skills with the Henderson Silver Knights, the Golden Knights’ American Hockey League affiliate. Over three seasons as Henderson’s head coach, Craig steadily improved the team’s performance, increasing its win total from 28 victories in 2023-24 to 29 in 2024-25, culminating in a franchise-best record of 39-21-12 and 90 points in 2025-26. Under his leadership, the Silver Knights also advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs this past spring.

Craig’s leadership qualities were evident long before his ascent through the Golden Knights organization. The Abbotsford, B.C. native spent five seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings from 1998 to 2003, playing under current Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon, who was both the owner and general manager at that time.

During his tenure with the Wheat Kings, Craig served as captain for two seasons, led the team in scoring twice, and earned a spot on the WHL East First All-Star Team in his final junior season. He was also honored as both the WHL and CHL Humanitarian of the Year.

This leadership followed Craig throughout his professional playing career. Drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the eighth round of the 2002 NHL Draft, he played 198 NHL games with Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, and Columbus, and appeared in 711 AHL games, captaining an impressive nine different teams, including the 2015-16 Calder Cup champion Lake Erie Monsters.

Now, after years of leading as a player and developing as a coach, Craig is ready for his first opportunity to run an NHL bench. For the Wheat Kings, this marks yet another connection between Brandon and one of the NHL’s most successful, albeit cutthroat, franchises. More than two decades after McCrimmon nurtured Craig’s leadership in Westman, the two are reunited with the shared goal of bringing another Stanley Cup to Vegas.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.