Craig Hartsburg

Craig William Hartsburg (born June 29, 1959) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and head coach, who currently serves as an amateur scout and defense development coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hartsburg played ten seasons with the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL as a defenceman from 1979 until 1989, captaining the team for seven NHL seasons before pursuing a coaching career. He featured in the 1981 Stanley Cup Finals with the North Stars.

Craig Hartsburg
Born (1959-06-29) June 29, 1959 (age 64)
Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
PositionDefence
ShotLeft
Played forBirmingham Bulls
Minnesota North Stars
National team Canada
NHL draft6th overall, 1979
Minnesota North Stars
Playing career1978–1989

Hartsburg has coached in the Ontario Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and has previously been an NHL head coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Ottawa Senators.

Playing career

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Hartsburg played three seasons of junior hockey for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, where he was a teammate of Wayne Gretzky's during the 1977–78 season.[1] In Hartsburg's last two seasons with the Greyhounds, he averaged over a point per game. In 1977–78, Hartsburg represented Canada at the World Junior Championships, scoring five points in six games.

Hartsburg skipped his fourth and final junior season, deciding instead to turn pro with the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association (WHA) in June 1978, as an underage free agent.[2] Hartsburg amassed nine goals and 40 assists in his rookie professional season.[2] With the collapse of the financially troubled WHA in 1979,[3] Hartsburg was drafted sixth overall by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft.[4]

Hartsburg played 570 NHL games, over ten seasons. He scored 98 goals and 315 assists, for 413 points.[4] In 1981–82, his best offensive season, Hartsburg recorded 17 goals and 60 assists for 77 points, with a +11 plus-minus rating. He also finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting.[5] Internationally, he represented Canada at the 1981 and 1987 Canada Cups. At the 1987 IIHF World Championships he was named the tournament's top defenceman. He played in the NHL All-Star game in 1980, 1982, and 1983.[2] Hartsburg's seven seasons as North Stars' captain remained the franchise record for seasons of captaincy until Derian Hatcher broke the record at the end of the 2002-03 NHL season, after the team's move to Dallas.

Coaching career

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Following two injury-riddled seasons in which Hartsburg missed 103 of a possible 160 games because of hip problems, Hartsburg retired as a player at age 30 and accepted an assistant coaching position with the North Stars for the 1989–90 season. He then became an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers from 1990 to 1994. He then served as head coach of the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the 1994–95 season, before returning to the NHL as the head coach from 1995 to 1998 of the Chicago Blackhawks. In 1998, he was named head coach of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim before being replaced in midseason of 2000–01.

He coached junior hockey with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL for one season, before rejoining the Flyers as an assistant for two seasons. In 2004, he returned to the Greyhounds and served as the head coach until 2008. He also served as coach for the Canadian World Junior Team.[6] He received a gold medal in the 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, when Team Canada beat Russia 4–2. He was also the coach for Team Canada in the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships when Canada again won gold by beating Sweden 3–2 in overtime.

On June 13, 2008, he signed a three-year contract and was named head coach of the Ottawa Senators, replacing general manager Bryan Murray who had assumed interim coaching duties when John Paddock was fired on February 27, 2008.[7][8] On February 1, 2009, Hartsburg was fired by the Senators, having compiled a 17–24–7 record during the 2008–09 season.[9]

On June 23, 2009, the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League named Hartsburg its third head coach in franchise history.[10] On June 6, 2011, Hartsburg stepped down from his coaching job in Everett to join the Calgary Flames as an assistant coach.[11] On June 7, 2012, Craig Hartsburg was released by the Calgary Flames, but was named associate coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets only 13 days later. His coaching time with the Blue Jackets came to an end on April 13, 2016 when his retirement was announced.[12] On July 12, 2019, he returned to the Blue Jackets as an amateur scout and defense development coach.[13]

Personal

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Hartsburg and his wife, Peggy, have two children.

Their son, Chris, was the head coach of the OHL's Erie Otters, while their daughter Katie, is a speech pathologist.[14]

He has 3 grandchildren: Colin, Blake and Greyson.

Hartsburg lists Gretzky as the best player he has played with, and Chris Chelios as the best player he has coached. Hartsburg's favorite hobby is fishing.[15]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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  Regular season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1975–76Sault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsOMJHL6491928651210116
1976–77Sault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsOMJHL6129649314290111127
1977–78Sault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsOMJHL3615425710113481224
1978–79Birmingham BullsWHA779404973
1979–80Minnesota North StarsNHL79143044811531417
1980–81Minnesota North StarsNHL74133043124193121516
1981–82Minnesota North StarsNHL76176077117412314
1982–83Minnesota North StarsNHL78125062109938117
1983–84Minnesota North StarsNHL26771437
1984–85Minnesota North StarsNHL327111854953814
1985–86Minnesota North StarsNHL7510475712750112
1986–87Minnesota North StarsNHL7311506193
1987–88Minnesota North StarsNHL273161929
1988–89Minnesota North StarsNHL304141847
WHA totals779404973
NHL totals570983154138186115274270

International

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YearTeamEvent GPGAPtsPIM
1978CanadaWJC61458
1981CanadaCC70116
1982CanadaWC1033612
1983CanadaWC51232
1987CanadaWC1001114
1987CanadaCC90226
Junior totals61458
Senior totals41491340

Coaching record

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TeamYearRegular seasonPost season
GWLTOTLPtsFinishWLResult
CHI1995–9682402814942nd in Central64Won in first round (4–0 vs. CGY)
Lost in second round (2–4 vs. COL)
CHI1996–9782343513815th in Central24Lost in first round (2–4 vs. COL)
CHI1997–9882303913735th in Central--Missed playoffs
ANA1998–9982353413833rd in Pacific04Lost in first round (0–4 vs. DET)
ANA1999–2000823433123835th in Pacific--Missed playoffs
ANA2000–0133111543(66)5th in Pacific--(Fired)
OTT2008–094817247(83)4th in Northeast--(Fired)
CHI Total2461041024024888
ANA Total197808229619504
OTT Total48172474100
Total4912012086913484812

Junior hockey

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TeamYearRegular seasonPost season
GWLTOTLPtsFinishResult
GUE1994–956647145991st in CentralWon in quarterfinals (4-0 vs. OS)
Won in semifinals (4–0 vs. BEL)
Lost in OHL Finals (2-4 vs. DET)
SOO2001–02683820100862nd in WestLost in first round (3–4 vs. WSR)
SOO2004–0559311981(76)1st in WestLost in first round (3–4 vs. WSR)
SOO2005–066829318664th in WestLost in first round (0–4 vs. LDN)
SOO2006–076837238823rd in WestWon in first round (4–2 vs. SAG)
Lost in second round (3–4 vs. LDN)
SOO2007–086844186941st in WestWon in first round (4–0 vs. SAG)
Won in second round (4–1 vs. GUE)
Lost in third round (1–4 vs. KIT)
EVR2009–1072462132973rd in West[16]Lost in first round (3–4 vs. KEL)
EVR2010–1172283374678th in WestLost in first round (0–4 vs. POR)
SOO Total331179111182339922–23 (0.489)
EVR Total14474541061643–8 (0.273)
GUE Total66471459910–4 (0.714)
OHL Total397226125232349832–27 (0.542)
WHL Total14474541061643–8 (0.273)
Junior Total541300179332966235–35 (0.500)

References

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  1. ^ "1977–78 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHA)". hockeydb.com. Retrieved July 16, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c "Craig William Hartsburg". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "From the WHA to the NHL". NHL. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2008.
  4. ^ a b "Craig Hartsburg to coach Senators: report". CBC. June 13, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  5. ^ "1981-82 NHL Awards Voting | Hockey-Reference.com". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  6. ^ "Hartsburg to return as Canadian junior coach". CBC Sports. May 29, 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2007.
  7. ^ "Hartsburg accepts Senators 'challenge'". Ottawa Senators. June 13, 2008. Archived from the original on June 18, 2008. Retrieved July 16, 2008.
  8. ^ "Hartsburg introduced as new head coach in Ottawa". TSN.ca. June 13, 2008. Archived from the original on June 14, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  9. ^ "Struggling Senators fire coach Hartsburg". February 2, 2009. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  10. ^ "Silvertips hire ex-NHL coach Craig Hartsburg". HeraldNet. December 2, 2003. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  11. ^ "Craig Hartsburg Steps Down as Head Coach". Everett Silvertips. June 6, 2011. Archived from the original on June 10, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  12. ^ "Blue Jackets associate coach Craig Hartsburg announces retirement from coaching". NHL.com. April 13, 2016. Archived from the original on July 8, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  13. ^ Russon, Randy (July 16, 2019). "Craig Hartsburg is all about development … RIP, Chris Braido". Sault This Week. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  14. ^ Brodie, Rob (June 13, 2008). "New Sens coach ready for pressure cooker". Ottawa Senators. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
  15. ^ "20 things you didn't know about Craig Hartsburg". Ottawa Sun. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. ^ "Home". whl.ca.
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