The Vegas Golden Knights named Ryan Craig as head coach, promoting the former Henderson Silver Knights bench boss into the NHL job after three seasons running the organization's AHL affiliate.
General manager Kelly McCrimmon announced the move on June 17, according to the team's official release. Craig becomes the fifth head coach in Golden Knights franchise history.
Craig Promoted From Henderson Bench
Craig, 44, spent the past three seasons as head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights. The Golden Knights said Henderson's win total rose in each of those years, from 28 in 2023-24 to 29 in 2024-25 and then 39 in 2025-26.
The 2025-26 Silver Knights finished 39-21-12 with 90 points, both franchise records for the six-year-old Henderson club. Henderson also reached the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs before losing to the Colorado Eagles.
The move gives Vegas a head coach who has recently worked with the organization's prospects and depth players rather than an outside hire learning the system from scratch. That is the practical value of the promotion; the announcement did not list contract length or salary terms.
Golden Knights Keep The Hire Internal
Craig was already tied closely to the NHL staff before his Henderson run. He served as a Golden Knights assistant coach for six seasons from 2017 to 2023, helping Vegas reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five of those six seasons.
His last season as a Vegas assistant ended with the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship in 2023. The organization is now turning back to that internal track as it resets the bench for the next season.
Craig's connection to McCrimmon also runs deeper than the Golden Knights. The team noted that Craig played five seasons for the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings from 1998 to 2003, when McCrimmon was the club's owner and general manager. Craig captained Brandon for two years and led the team in scoring twice.
Playing Resume Adds Development Background
Before coaching, Craig played eight NHL seasons and appeared in 198 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets. He also played 711 AHL games and served as captain on nine teams, including the 2015-16 Calder Cup champion Lake Erie Monsters.
The Golden Knights' release also credited Craig with the 2002-03 WHL East First All-Star Team selection and both Canadian Hockey League and WHL Humanitarian of the Year honors during his junior career.
The verified picture is straightforward: Vegas has elevated a coach who knows the NHL room, has run its AHL affiliate and has a long development-heavy playing background. The next public clues will come when the Golden Knights set the rest of the coaching staff and move toward training camp.