Kieran Craig: first win, first goals and playing a fast game for Fife Flyers
Kieran Craig couldn’t have picked a more turbulent time to arrive in Fife Flyers’ dressing room.
Signed by Tom Coolen, he arrived as the coach was axed and the club issued an appeal to the Elite League to help it through the darkest of days as a perfect storm of injuries and departures scythed through the bench.
One month on and the waves have subsided. Interim coach Johnny Curran has posted his first win, the players have found some self belief, and Craig has opened his account, including the team’s first short-handed goal of the season in a 4-2 loss to Nottingham Panthers at the weekend.
That strike summed up the edge he has brought to the team, skating deep into the opposition zone to seize possession, driving the net and beating the netminder with a rebound flick.
“It is good to catch guys off guard on the penalty kill,” he said. “Some teams expect you to relax and fall back when they have the puck. I like to play with energy and push the pace, and like to play a fast game - sometime on the bigger ice pad, I have to realise when it is time to go!”
Craig came to Kirkcaldy via an eight-game spell with Florida Everblades in the ECHL and one with Cincinnati Cyclones.
Home is Alexandria, Ontario, population 3300; a town with strong Scottish roots, and a busy junior hockey scene.
“My dad and family played hockey to various levels. My sister also played - we grew up with the sport, and my dad always had a passion for it. My parents took both my sister and I to training and games and tournaments, and we had six or seven each to go to, so it was a lot of driving.”
Craig spent four seasons in the Québec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, starting with the Gatineau Olympiques - he was their top points scorer as the pandemic struck. Traded to Blainville-Boisbriand Armada he maintained his output of a point per game scorer - in 211 career QMJHL games, he posted 138 points and drew 164 penalty minutes. At university he iced with Carelton Ravens,where he continued to deliver goals and assists before going on to make his pro debut in Florida.
A switch to Europe was always on his radar, and he joined Flyers at Christmas after several approaches from the club,, stepping straight into the most challenging of times.
“I knew things were from looking at the standings, but the first few weeks were pretty chaotic,” he said. “I fully understood what was at stake, and everything has settled and we are playing better hockey. I knew some of the guys when I played against them - I came up against Phelix Martineau in school hockey - and it was good to get the first goals. That takes the pressure off you as the new guy on the team. You want to play well.” A first win for Flyers was another target met.
“From a hockey perspective it was good to get the first win - my first and the team’s first in a long time. We then had a great game the next night against Nottingham. I know we lost but, we were in it. Talking after, we knew we became a bit too passive in the third with the lead rather than pushing. We tried to play conservatively.
“We have to keep up that momentum. It is about being positive - a win helps everyone get a bit looser - losing can make you more tense and frustrated. “
“It is frustrating when you are out of a game early on - 5-0 down at Sheffield was a tough night, but it is great the fans stay involved. They are louder here than some places back home and it is nice to see that everyone is here for the team when there hasn’t been much success. They still show up.”