Craig Woodcroft (born December 3, 1969) is a Canadian professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
head coach and former
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
. He is currently head coach of
HC Dinamo Minsk
Hockey Club Dinamo Minsk (russian: Дина́мо-Минск; be, Дынама-Мінск, ''Dynama-Minsk'') is an ice hockey team based in Minsk, Belarus. They are members of the Tarasov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League.
Dinamo has qu ...
of the
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...
(KHL).
During his playing career, he represented
Team Canada internationally and spent nine years playing in Europe. He previously coached
Adler Mannheim
The Adler Mannheim (English: ''Mannheim Eagles'', formerly Mannheimer ERC) is a professional ice hockey team of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the highest-level ice hockey league in Germany. The team is based in Mannheim, a city in the northern pa ...
of the
Deutsche Eishockey Liga
The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (for sponsorship reasons called "PENNY Deutsche Eishockey Liga") (; English: ''German Ice Hockey League'') or DEL, is a German professional ice hockey league and the highest division in German ice hockey. Founded in ...
(DEL) and
Genève-Servette HC
The Genève-Servette HC (also called Servette or GSHC) is a professional ice hockey club based in Geneva, Switzerland and competing in the National League (NL), the top tier of the Swiss hockey league system. The team plays their home games at the ...
of the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
(NL). His brothers
Jay
A jay is a member of a number of species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the Crow family (biology), family, Corvidae. The evolutionary relationships between the jays and the magpies are rather complex. For examp ...
and Todd have worked for NHL teams as scout and assistant coach.
Playing career
Woodcroft amassed 168 points (73 goals, 95 assists) over his four-year NCAA career at
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...
. Woodcroft was presented with the Colgate Coaches Award in 1989 and hauled in
ECACH Tournament MVP distinction the following year, helping the Raiders capture the
Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 15 sports (13 men's and 13 women's). It has 220 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location fro ...
championship. As a senior, he was named Colgate's Best Offensive Player and earned All-
ECACH Honorable Mention status.
A 1991 graduate of
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...
, Woodcroft was picked by the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
in the
1988 NHL Draft (134th overall). Following playing college hockey, he turned pro and signed with the
Indianapolis Ice
The Indianapolis Ice were a minor league professional ice hockey team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, that played in the International Hockey League from 1988 to 1999 and in the Central Hockey League from 1999 to 2004. Their original home arena ...
of the
International Hockey League, where he stayed from 1991 to 1993, followed by a stint with the
Prince Edward Island Senators
The Prince Edward Island Senators were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1993 to 1996. Originally located in New Haven, Connecticut, for 21 seasons, including one as the affiliate of the National ...
of the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
in 1993-94.
Woodcroft made 12 appearances for Finnish
Liiga
The SM-liiga (marketed as just Liiga from 2013 on), (Finnish for ''League'') colloquially called the Finnish Elite League in English or FM-ligan in Swedish, is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. It is one of the six founding leagu ...
side
TuTo Hockey
TUTO Hockey (Turun Toverit) is a Finnish ice hockey team based at the Kupittaan jäähalli (capacity 2,875, inauguration in November 2006). Established in 1929, TUTO plays in Turku, Finland, and is one of two clubs in that city (the other being ...
in 1994-95 and then was sent to lower division team
Reipas Lahti
Reipas Lahti is a sports club based in Lahti, Finland. It is involved in various of ball games and also other sports. The club emerged in the late 1940s, when the inhabitants of Viipuri had mostly been relocated in Lahti, after evacuation during ...
on loan, where he saw the ice in three contests, before heading back to North America. He finished the season playing a couple of games for IHL's
Cleveland Lumberjacks
The Cleveland Lumberjacks were an International Hockey League (IHL) team based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Facts
:Owner: Larry Gordon
:Logo design: "Buzz"- A beaver wearing overalls holding a homemade hockey stick framed by a circular saw blade
:Divis ...
and strengthening
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
The E ...
outfit
Columbus Chill
The Columbus Chill were a professional ice hockey team that played in the East Coast Hockey League from October 1991 through the 1998–99 season. They played at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum in Columbus, Ohio. The Chill left Columbus in 1999 and ...
in 19 games.
At the beginning of the 1995-96 campaign, Woodcroft took up an offer to play in Germany: Woodcroft parted ways with
Deggendorfer EC after two games, but remained in the country to join fellow German second-division team EV Weiden. At Weiden, he produced 13 goals and 22 assists in 28 contests.
After playing briefly for AHL's
Cornwall Aces
The Cornwall Aces were the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's Quebec Nordiques from 1993 to 1995 and the relocated Colorado Avalanche in 1995–96. They were based in the eastern Ontario city of Cornwall and pla ...
and
Colonial Hockey League
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:
* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology)
Architecture
* American colonial architecture
* French Colonial
* Spanish Colonial architecture
Automobiles
* Colonial (1920 au ...
's
Quad City Mallards
The Quad City Mallards were a minor league professional ice hockey team based in the Quad Cities area of Illinois and Iowa that competed in the International Hockey League, Central Hockey League and ECHL. They were named after the Mallards team ...
, Woodcroft embarked on a two-year stint with
Manchester Storm of the
British Ice Hockey Superleague
The British Ice Hockey Superleague (BISL, also known as the Sekonda Ice Hockey Superleague from 1998 to 1999 for sponsorship reasons) was a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2003. Devised in 1995, it replaced ...
(BISL). In England, Woodcroft is particularly remembered for a four-goal showing in a 7-0
European Hockey League The European Hockey League was a European ice hockey club competition which ran between the years 1996 and 2000.
History
It was established in 1996 by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and commercial partner CWL Telesport and first con ...
home win over Czech powerhouse
Sparta Praha
) but refer to Spartans as "''Rudí''" ( en, The Dark Reds/The Maroons).'' Letenští''
, ground = Generali Česká pojišťovna Arena
, capacity = 19,416
, clubname = Sparta Prague
, image = Sparta Praha logo.png
, image_size = 160px
, fu ...
in the 1997-98 season. He garnered All-BISL First Team honors in his second year with the Storm. That drew the interest of a high caliber team from Germany's top-tier
Deutsche Eishockey Liga
The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (for sponsorship reasons called "PENNY Deutsche Eishockey Liga") (; English: ''German Ice Hockey League'') or DEL, is a German professional ice hockey league and the highest division in German ice hockey. Founded in ...
(DEL),
Kölner Haie
The Kölner Haie (English: ''Cologne Sharks'') are an ice hockey club based in Cologne, Germany that plays in the professional Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). The team was one of the founding members of the DEL.
The ''Kölner Haie'' play their hom ...
. He signed with the team for the 1998-99 season, followed by stints with three other DEL teams in the following three years, including the
Kassel Huskies
The EC Kassel Huskies are a professional ice hockey club based in Kassel, Hessen, Germany. The club currently competes in DEL2, the second level of ice hockey in Germany. The Huskies were founded in 1977 and have competed in the top five levels o ...
,
Frankfurt Lions
The Frankfurt Lions were a German professional men's ice hockey club from Frankfurt, Germany that played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The club ceased operations in 2010 due to financial difficulty.
History
The hockey team was founded as a se ...
and
Moskitos Essen
The Essen Mosquitoes are a professional ice hockey team from Essen, Germany that competed in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) from 1999–2000 until the 2001–02 when they lost their license due to insolvency. After this the team played in t ...
.
Woodcroft concluded his professional career playing in Italy (
HC Milan
Hockey Club Milano (better known as Hockey Club Milano Saima after its sponsor) was an ice hockey team in Milan, Italy.
History
The club was founded in 1985 and initially played in the Serie B. They made their debut in the Serie A during the 198 ...
) and Sweden (
Linköping HC
Linköping Hockey Club, often known by its initials LHC, or colloquially among its fans as Cluben, is a Swedish ice hockey club from Linköping, founded in 1976. The home arena of the team is Saab Arena (formerly Cloetta Center) which accommodat ...
) in 2002-03.
Coaching career
Woodcroft is the founder of the Northern Edge Hockey Academy. In 2010-11, he served as president of Hockey Operations for the
Sioux City Musketeers
The Sioux City Musketeers are a junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL). The Musketeers' home ice is Tyson Events Center. The team was founded in 1972, and has won three Anderson Cups a ...
of the
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly ...
.
Woodcroft served as Skill Development Coach for the
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the s ...
from 2010 to 2012 and was director of the
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
' Rookie Development Camp between 2012 and 2014.
In 2014, Woodcroft signed a two-year deal as associate coach of German DEL side
Adler Mannheim
The Adler Mannheim (English: ''Mannheim Eagles'', formerly Mannheimer ERC) is a professional ice hockey team of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the highest-level ice hockey league in Germany. The team is based in Mannheim, a city in the northern pa ...
. In his first year, serving under head coach
Geoff Ward, Woodcroft helped guide the Adler squad to the German championship title. In February 2016, he was promoted to
Adler Mannheim
The Adler Mannheim (English: ''Mannheim Eagles'', formerly Mannheimer ERC) is a professional ice hockey team of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the highest-level ice hockey league in Germany. The team is based in Mannheim, a city in the northern pa ...
head coach after
Greg Ireland
Greg Ireland (born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian ice hockey coach. Ireland has coached minor and junior amateur teams and professional teams in North America and Europe. He is currently head coach of HC Kunlun Red Star, which is a member of the ...
was fired. Woodcroft left Mannheim after the 2015-16 season and was named head coach of
HC Dinamo Minsk
Hockey Club Dinamo Minsk (russian: Дина́мо-Минск; be, Дынама-Мінск, ''Dynama-Minsk'') is an ice hockey team based in Minsk, Belarus. They are members of the Tarasov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League.
Dinamo has qu ...
of the
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...
(KHL) in April 2016.
On June 26, 2017, it was announced that Woodcroft would become the new head coach of
Genève-Servette HC
The Genève-Servette HC (also called Servette or GSHC) is a professional ice hockey club based in Geneva, Switzerland and competing in the National League (NL), the top tier of the Swiss hockey league system. The team plays their home games at the ...
, signing a three-year deal with the team. On July 25, 2017 he was named an assistant coach of
Canada's men's team for the
2018 Winter Olympics
, nations = 93
, athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women)
, events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening =
, closing =
, opened_by = President Moon Jae-in
, cauldron = Kim Yun-a
, stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium
, winte ...
in
Pyeongchang
Pyeongchang (; in full, ''Pyeongchang-gun'' ; ) is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea, located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is about east southeast of Seou ...
,
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
.
Serving as assistant coach to
Willie Desjardins
Wilbrod "Willie" Desjardins (born February 11, 1957) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and player. He is currently head coach and general manager of the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers. He has also been the head coach of the NHL's Vancouver ...
, Woodcroft helped Canada win the 2017
Spengler Cup
The Spengler Cup is an annual invitational ice hockey tournament held in Davos, Switzerland. First held in 1923, the Spengler Cup is often cited as the oldest invitational ice hockey tournament in the world. The event is hosted by the Swiss tea ...
. He guided Genève-Servette to an 8th place finish in the 2017-18 regular season before falling short to defending champion SC Bern in playoff-quarterfinals. Woodcroft was relieved of his duties as Genève-Servette head coach on April 3, 2018. In July 2019, he again signed with HC Dinamo Minsk to begin a second stint as head coach at the club.
The current head coach of the
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...
club
Dynamo (Minsk), which he led earlier in the 2016/2017 season. He was a member of the coaching staff of the national ice hockey team of
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
as an assistant coach during three
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual international men's ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annua ...
. From November 2, 2021, the head coach of the Belarus national team.
Career statistics
External links
*
* http://www.eliteprospects.com/staff.php?staff=16401
* https://web.archive.org/web/20160215234129/http://www.adler-mannheim.de/trainer.php
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodcroft, Craig
1969 births
Living people
Canadian ice hockey forwards
Chicago Blackhawks draft picks
Cleveland Lumberjacks players
Colgate Raiders men's ice hockey players
Columbus Chill players
Cornwall Aces players
Deutsche Eishockey Liga coaches
Essen Mosquitoes players
Frankfurt Lions players
Ice hockey coaches
Ice hockey people from Ontario
Indianapolis Ice players
Kassel Huskies players
Kölner Haie players
Linköping HC players
Manchester Storm (1995–2002) players
Prince Edward Island Senators players
Quad City Mallards (CoHL) players
Sportspeople from Toronto
Straubing Tigers players
TuTo players
Canadian ice hockey coaches