Keith McCambridge (born February 1, 1974) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and a former defenceman. He was previously the head coach of the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose/St. John's IceCaps team from 2011 to 2016 and the Hartford Wolf Pack from 2017 to 2019.

Keith McCambridge
McCambridge in 2014
Born (1974-02-01) February 1, 1974 (age 50)
Thompson, Manitoba, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Saint John Flames
Las Vegas Thunder
Long Beach Ice Dogs
Providence Bruins
Manitoba Moose
Houston Aeros
Cleveland Barons
Alaska Aces
NHL draft 201st overall, 1994
Calgary Flames
Playing career 1995–2006

Playing career

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McCambridge was born in Thompson, Manitoba, but grew up in Selkirk. He joined the Selkirk Steelers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League as a 16-year-old, playing one season before moving on to the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League, where he spent most of his major junior career. During his final season of junior hockey, McCambridge was traded to the Kamloops Blazers, joining them on their 1995 Memorial Cup championship run.[1][2]

McCambridge was drafted in the eighth round, 201st overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. After junior, he spent three seasons with the Saint John Flames, Calgary's AHL affiliate, from 1995 to 1998. He later went on to play for several teams in both the American and the International Hockey Leagues, including the Las Vegas Thunder, Providence Bruins, Long Beach Ice Dogs, and Cleveland Barons. Known for his tough, bruising style of play, McCambridge recorded 42 points and 1333 penalty minutes in 461 regular season games, AHL and IHL combined. He also played in 40 playoff games.[1]

In 2003, McCambridge signed as a player-coach with the Alaska Aces of the ECHL. He spent three seasons with the Aces, as a captain wearing the number 2, and was a part of their 2006 Kelly Cup championship team. McCambridge retired as a player following the Aces' championship season.[2]

Coaching career

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After retiring a player, McCambridge became a full-time assistant coach for Aces in 2006 and was promoted to head coach a year later. The Aces enjoyed two successful seasons under McCambridge's guidance and advanced to the finals in 2008-2009.[2]

In 2009, McCambridge joined the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose as an assistant coach and later moved with the team to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011. The Winnipeg Jets, the parent club of the St. John's IceCaps, subsequently selected McCambridge to replace Claude Noël as head coach.[3] McCambridge led the IceCaps to a division title in 2011–12 and a berth in the 2014 Calder Cup finals, which they lost to the Texas Stars in five games.

McCambridge was retained as head coach when the franchise relocated back to Winnipeg as the Moose in 2015. After one season back in Manitoba, McCambridge's contract was not renewed by the Jets' organization.[4] He was hired as an assistant coach by the Hartford Wolf Pack in August 2016.[5]

On June 12, 2017, McCambridge was named Wolf Pack head coach for the 2017–18 AHL season.[6] He was fired after two seasons.

McCambridge was hired as an Associate Coach by the Vancouver Giants of the WHL in 2020 and served in that capacity for two seasons. He has been hired by the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League as an Assistant Coach.[7]

Career statistics

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1991–92 Swift Current Broncos WHL 72 1 4 5 94 8 0 0 0 2
1992–93 Swift Current Broncos WHL 70 0 6 6 87 17 0 1 1 27
1993–94 Swift Current Broncos WHL 71 0 10 10 179 7 0 0 0 4
1994–95 Swift Current Broncos WHL 48 5 7 12 120
1994–95 Kamloops Blazers WHL 21 0 6 6 90 21 0 5 5 49
1995–96 Saint John Flames AHL 48 1 3 4 89 16 0 0 0 6
1996–97 Saint John Flames AHL 56 2 1 3 109
1997–98 Saint John Flames AHL 56 4 4 8 118
1997–98 Las Vegas Thunder IHL 10 0 1 1 16 4 0 0 0 9
1998–99 Las Vegas Thunder IHL 18 1 2 3 56
1998–99 Long Beach Ice Dogs IHL 52 2 5 7 200 8 0 0 0 20
1999–00 Providence Bruins AHL 47 0 2 2 135
1999–00 Manitoba Moose IHL 3 0 1 1 4
2000–01 Providence Bruins AHL 63 1 5 6 215 10 0 0 0 18
2001–02 Providence Bruins AHL 59 1 3 4 263 2 0 0 0 5
2002–03 Houston Aeros AHL 11 0 0 0 22
2002–03 Cleveland Barons AHL 38 0 3 3 106
2003–04 Alaska Aces ECHL 63 1 5 6 171 6 1 1 2 2
2004–05 Alaska Aces ECHL 56 3 8 11 111 15 0 4 4 12
2005–06 Alaska Aces ECHL 47 1 3 4 93 22 0 4 4 16
AHL totals 378 9 21 30 1,057 28 0 0 0 29

Coaching record

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Team Year League Regular Season Post Season
G W L T OTL Pts Finish Result
AK 2007–08 ECHL 72 41 26 - 5 87 3rd in West Lost in Second Round (LV)
AK 2008–09 ECHL 72 45 24 1 2 93 1st in West Lost in Kelly Cup Finals (SC)
STJ 2011–12 AHL 76 43 25 - 8 94 1st in Atlantic Lost in Third Round (NOR)
STJ 2012–13 AHL 76 32 36 - 8 72 5th in Atlantic Did not qualify
STJ 2013–14 AHL 76 46 23 - 7 99 2nd in Atlantic Lost in Calder Cup Finals (TEX)
STJ 2014–15 AHL 76 32 33 - 11 75 5th in Atlantic Did not qualify
MAN 2015–16 AHL 76 26 41 - 9 61 7th in Central Did not qualify
HFD 2017–18 AHL 76 34 33 - 9 77 6th in Atlantic Did not qualify
HFD 2018–19 AHL 76 29 36 - 11 69 8th in Atlantic Did not qualify
ECHL Totals 144 86 50 1 7 180
AHL Totals 532 242 227 - 63 547

References

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  1. ^ a b "Passion drives IceCaps coach". Winnipeg Sun. October 6, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "McCambridge a Moose coach". InterlakeToday.ca. July 27, 2009.
  3. ^ "Moose assistant coach Keith McCambridge promoted to head coach of Jets farm team". FoxNews.com. July 14, 2011.
  4. ^ "Jets Elect Not to Renew Contract of Moose Coach Keith McCambridge". OurSports Central. April 22, 2016.
  5. ^ "Keith McCambridge named Assistant Coach for Hartford". OurSports Central. August 3, 2016.
  6. ^ "Keith McCambridge Named Head Coach of Hartford Wolf Pack". NHL.com. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  7. ^ "Keith McCambridge". Bakersfield Condors. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
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Sporting positions
Preceded by Head coach of the Manitoba Moose
2011–2016
Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack
2017–2019
Succeeded by