Next era in Knoxville hockey begins

Next era in Knoxville hockey begins Craigen takes the reigns as new head coach of the Ice Bears

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - It has been a little more than a week since the Knoxville Ice Bears named Mike Craigen as the fifth head coach in the organization's history. Chances are, Craigen has not stopped smiling since.

Mike Murray, Mike Craigen and Kevin Swider
(photo courtesy of Knoxville Ice Bears)

Craigen is no stranger to Knoxville. He played with the Ice Bears for four seasons (2004-2008), 

earning two SPHL championships and racking up 196 points (82 goals, 114 assists) and 896 penalty minutes in 216 games.

After retiring nearly two years ago, Craigen quickly realized he might have hung up the skates a little too soon. A return to Knoxville and the ice, plus a slightly higher paycheck than the capped salary of a SPHL player, were just the thing to lure the 28-year-old away from the security of his telecommunications job back in Canada.

"After retiring from hockey, I missed the game immensely, especially the way the game is played in Knoxville, the people here and the organization," Craigen said. "Once you get accustomed to the way of life down here, it is something that doesn't leave you very quickly."

Persistence paid off for the Buckhorn, Ontario native, who applied for the bench boss spot last season after Scott Hillman left to coach in the Central Hockey League. The honor went to Hillman's assistant, Marc Rodgers. Rodgers and the team parted ways over the summer, opening the way for Craigen's return.

Craigen admits he probably was not ready to head the team last year. He gained valuable experience as the assistant coach of Central Canadian Hockey League’s Peterborough Stars, which strengthened his resolve to coach at a professional level.

"Being away from the game for a few years made me realize how much a part of my life hockey was and how much of a great lifestyle it was. I missed the game and I got the passion back for it," Craigen said. "It's that age old saying, you don't know what you've got until it's gone, and that really was the case."

Knoxville Ice Bears General Manager Mike Murray, along with newly appointed Director of Hockey Operations Kevin Swider, interviewed more than 10 candidates before deciding to give Craigen a shot.

Craigen believes he is the best man for the job because of his knowledge of the league, his comfort level with the city and his rapport with the organization and fans.

Read the rest of the article at ProHockeyNews.com.