Craig Ramsay

Craig Edward Ramsay (born March 17, 1951) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He played in the NHL from 1971 to 1985 for the Buffalo Sabres, notably featuring in the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals with the Sabres. After his playing career, he became a coach with the Sabres and later served as the final head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers. Since 2017, he is the head coach of the Slovakia men's national ice hockey team.
==Playing career==
Ramsay began his hockey career with the Peterborough Petes in 1968. Ramsay spent four seasons in Peterborough where he excelled at the game. He caught the attention of many scouts and in 1971 he was drafted 19th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft.
In 1971–72, Ramsay played a couple of games in the American Hockey League before being called up by the Sabres. He was paired up with his close friend Don Luce and together, the two formed a formidable offensive-defensive line that shut out many of the NHL's top lines.
In 1974–75, the Sabres drafted young prospect Danny Gare and he was paired up with Ramsay and Luce. The Sabres that year made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals before being defeated by the Philadelphia Flyers. Ramsay had a total tally of 12 points during that run. With the addition of Danny Gare, Ramsay's line became not only a threat defensively but also offensively.
Ramsay had eight consecutive 20 goal seasons and was selected to play in the 1976 NHL All-Star Game. His linemate, Gare scored a total of 56 goals in 1979–80. Ramsay played for ten seasons for the Sabres which included playing 776 games consecutively.
In 1984–85, Ramsay was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy for his defensive capabilities as a forward. Ramsay retired shortly afterwards ending a 14-year career with the Sabres which included 1,070 career NHL games, 252 goals and 420 assists for 672 points. He was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 1986 to honour his playing career with the club.
Ramsay was the last player to play a full season without incurring any penalties. He did this in 1973–74, playing 78 games and recording 46 points.
==Coaching career==
Following Ramsay's retirement, he was named the assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres in 1986–87 and served as interim head coach late in the year posting a 4–15–2 record. He also served as the team director of player personnel and assistant general manager with the Sabres. In 1992–93, Ramsay left the Sabres organization and joined the Florida Panthers as assistant coach. He stayed there until 1995 before joining the Ottawa Senators also as an assistant coach.
In 1997–98, Ramsay joined the Philadelphia Flyers. He was named interim head coach in February 2000 for Roger Neilson who was being treated for cancer. Ramsay guided the team with a 16–8–1–0 record while claiming the Atlantic Division with 105 points. He led the team all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before being eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, New Jersey Devils. He was hired permanently by the Flyers after Neilson was dismissed for health reasons at the end of the 1999–2000 NHL season and before the 2000–01 season before being fired after 28 games as the Flyers went 12–12–4–0 to start the season.
He joined the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2001 as an assistant coach. There, Ramsay won his first Stanley Cup in 2004 as the Lightning beat the Calgary Flames in seven games. In 2006–07, he joined the Boston Bruins as assistant coach.Bruins Website The Bruins made the playoffs every year and finished first in the Eastern Conference in 2008–09. On June 24, 2010, he was named the head coach for the Atlanta Thrashers. He was dismissed by the team's new ownership group, True North Sports and Entertainment following the Thrasher's relocation to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Ramsay was appointed an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers under head coach Kevin Dineen following his dismissal from Atlanta. He was fired by the Panthers along with Dineen and assistant coach Gord Murphy on November 8, 2013. Ramsay was hired by the Edmonton Oilers as assistant coach on June 10, 2014 to replace Kelly Buchberger. He was let go by the Oilers on June 4, 2015, along with fellow assistant Keith Acton.
Ramsay joined the Slovakia men's national ice hockey team as head coach on a two-year deal in 2017. He failed to lead Slovakia to the knockout stage of the 2019 IIHF World Championship held in their own country, but signed a one-year extension later that year. After guiding Slovakia to a second 9th-place finish in as many years at the 2020 World Championship, he extended his tenure to the end of the 2021/22 season. His emphasis on offensive play bore fruit when the team won the bronze medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, defeating Sweden 4-0.
A biography of Ramsay was published in Slovakia in November 2022. Titled Šťastný chlapec (Happy Boy), it was written by Peter Jánošík and Tomáš Kyselica, two members of the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation's public relations team.
==Awards and achievements==
*Played in 1976 NHL All-Star Game
*Frank J. Selke Trophy winner in 1985
*Stanley Cup champion in 2004 (as assistant coach)
*Bronze medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics as head coach of the Slovak national team
== Career statistics ==
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1967–68 	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr. 	 	40 	6 	13 	19 	21 	 	5 	0 	0 	0 	4
1968–69 	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr. 	 	54 	11 	28 	39 	20 	 	10 	1 	2 	3 	9
1969–70 	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr. 	 	54 	27 	41 	68 	18 	 	6 	1 	3 	4 	7
1970–71 	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr. 	 	58 	30 	76 	106 	25 	 	5 	2 	2 	4 	2
1971–72 	Cincinnati Swords 	AHL 	 	19 	5 	7 	12 	4 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1971–72 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	57 	6 	10 	16 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1972–73 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	76 	11 	17 	28 	15 	 	6 	1 	1 	2 	0
1973–74 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	78 	20 	26 	46 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1974–75 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	80 	26 	38 	64 	26 	 	17 	5 	7 	12 	2
1975–76 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	80 	22 	49 	71 	34 	 	9 	1 	2 	3 	2
1976–77 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	80 	20 	41 	61 	20 	 	6 	0 	4 	4 	0
1977–78 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	80 	28 	43 	71 	18 	 	8 	3 	1 	4 	9
1978–79 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	80 	26 	31 	57 	10 	 	3 	1 	0 	1 	2
1979–80 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	80 	21 	39 	60 	18 	 	10 	0 	6 	6 	4
1980–81 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	80 	24 	35 	59 	12 	 	8 	2 	4 	6 	4
1981–82 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	80 	16 	35 	51 	8 	 	4 	1 	1 	2 	0
1982–83 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	64 	11 	18 	29 	7 	 	10 	2 	3 	5 	4
1983–84 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	76 	9 	17 	26 	17 	 	3 	0 	1 	1 	0
1984–85 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	79 	12 	21 	33 	16 	 	5 	1 	1 	2 	0
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	1,070 	252 	420 	672 	201 	 	89 	17 	31 	48 	27
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==NHL coaching record==
Team 	Year 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Team 	Year 	G 	W 	L 	T 	OTL 	Pts 	Finish 	W 	L 	Result
BUF 	1986–87	21 	4 	15 	2 	— 	(10) 	5th in Adams 	— 	— 	Missed playoffs
PHI 	1999–00	25 	16 	8 	1 	0 	(33) 	1st in Atlantic 	11 	7 	Lost in Conference Finals
PHI 	2000–01	28 	12 	12 	4 	0 	(28) 	(fired) 	— 	— 	—
ATL 	2010–11	82 	34 	36 	— 	12 	80 	4th in Southeast	— 	— 	Missed playoffs
Total	Total 	156 	66 	71 	7 	12 	  	  	11 	7 	 
==See also==
* List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
* List of NHL players who spent their entire career with one franchise
==References==
==External links==
* 
Category:1951 births
Category:Atlanta Thrashers coaches
Category:Boston Bruins coaches
Category:Buffalo Sabres coaches
Category:Buffalo Sabres draft picks
Category:Buffalo Sabres executives
Category:Buffalo Sabres players
Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches
Category:Canadian ice hockey left wingers
Category:Cincinnati Swords players
Category:Dallas Stars scouts
Category:Edmonton Oilers coaches
Category:Florida Panthers coaches
Category:Florida Panthers scouts
Category:Frank Selke Trophy winners
Category:Ice hockey coaches at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Category:Ice hockey coaches at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Category:Medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Category:Montreal Canadiens coaches
Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Slovakia
Category:Olympic medalists in ice hockey
Category:Ottawa Senators coaches
Category:Peterborough Petes (ice hockey) players
Category:Philadelphia Flyers coaches
Category:Slovakia men's national ice hockey team coaches
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Tampa Bay Lightning coaches