Las Vegas Hires Kelly McCrimmon

Bill Foley, owner of the Las Vegas NHL franchise set to begin play in October of 2017, has announced via press release the hiring of Brandon Wheat Kings head coach and general manager Kelly McCrimmon as assistant general manager.

McCrimmon, who has previously been approached by the Toronto Maple Leafs, will work under general manager George McPhee. He played junior hockey for the Prince Albert Raiders, and college hockey at the University of Michigan. He is the brother of long-time NHLer Brad McCrimmon, who became head coach for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in 2011, and was tragically killed when the team’s plane crashed in 2011.

McCrimmon has coached the Wheat Kings in three stints, spanning from 1990 to 2016, winning 453 of his 864 games in that time. He has been General Manager since 1989. He has coached future NHLers including Ryan Reaves, Mark Stone, and Brayden Schenn, as well as Nolan Patrick, who is expected to go first in the 2017 NHL entry draft.