Craig Ramsay

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Lore & Background

Ramsay began his hockey career with the Peterborough Petes in 1968. He spent four seasons in Peterborough where he excelled at the game. 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 with his close friend Don Luce, forming a formidable offensive-defensive line. In 1974–75, the Sabres drafted Danny Gare and he was paired with Ramsay and Luce. The Sabres made it to the Stanley Cup Final that year, losing to the Philadelphia Flyers. Ramsay had 12 points during that run. Ramsay had eight consecutive 20-goal seasons and was selected to play in the 1976 NHL All-Star Game. He played 776 consecutive games for the Sabres. In 1984–85, Ramsay was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy for his defensive capabilities as a forward. He retired after a 14-year career with the Sabres, totaling 1,070 NHL games, 252 goals, 420 assists, and 672 points. He was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 1990. Ramsay played a full season without incurring any penalties in 1973–74 (78 games, 46 points), but the last player to do so was Butch Goring in 1977-78.

In Their Own Story

Following his retirement, Ramsay was named 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's director of player personnel and assistant general manager. In 1992–93, he left the Sabres organization and joined the Florida Panthers as assistant coach. He later worked as an assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Boston Bruins. Ramsay won his first Stanley Cup in 2004 as an assistant coach with the Lightning. On June 24, 2010, he was named head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers, but was dismissed by the team's new ownership group following the Thrashers' relocation to Winnipeg. He returned to the Panthers as an assistant coach under Kevin Dineen before being fired on November 8, 2013. Ramsay was hired by the Edmonton Oilers as assistant coach on June 10, 2014, and was let go on June 4, 2015.

Reader's Guide

Following retirement, Ramsay was named assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres in 1986–87 and served as interim head coach late in the year (4–15–2 record). He also served as director of player personnel and assistant general manager with the Sabres. In 1992–93, he left the Sabres and joined the Florida Panthers as assistant coach, staying until 1995 before joining the Ottawa Senators as assistant coach. In 1997–98, he joined the Philadelphia Flyers. He was named interim head coach in February 2000 for Roger Neilson, guiding the team to a 16–8–1–0 record and the Atlantic Division title with 105 points, leading them to the Eastern Conference Final. He was hired permanently after Neilson was dismissed, but was fired after 28 games in the 2000–01 season (12–12–4–0). He joined the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2001 as assistant coach, winning the Stanley Cup in 2004. In 2006–07, he joined the Boston Bruins as assistant coach. On June 24, 2010, he was named head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers. He was dismissed by the new ownership group after the Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg. He then became an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers under Kevin Dineen, and was fired on November 8, 2013. He was hired by the Edmonton Oilers as assistant coach on June 10, 2014, and let go on June 4, 2015. 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, but signed a one-year extension. After a 9th-place finish at the 2020 World Championship, he extended his tenure to the end of the 2021/22 season. He guided Slovakia to a bronze medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics, defeating Sweden 4–0. His contract was extended several times, but he was unable to coach at the 2025 IIHF World Championship due to pneumonia. In July 2025, it was announced he would not continue as head coach. A biography titled 'Šťastný chlapec' (Happy Boy) was published in Slovakia in November 2022.

Did You Know?

• Ramsay was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1984–85 for his defensive capabilities as a forward.
• He played 776 consecutive games for the Buffalo Sabres.
• Ramsay played a full season without incurring any penalties in 1973–74, though Butch Goring was the last to achieve this feat in 1977-78.
• He won the Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.
• Ramsay led Slovakia to a bronze medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics.