Fred Creighton(June 24, 1930 inPort Arthur,Ontario– September 28, 2011) was a Canadianice hockeycentreand coach. Creighton is best known for his time as an NHL head coach.[1]
Fred Creighton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Fred Creighton June 24, 1930 Port Arthur,Ontario,Canada |
| Died | September 28, 2011(aged 81) |
| Occupation(s) | former coach of theAtlanta FlamesandBoston Bruins |
Creighton grew up in rural Manitoba. After completing his journeyman hockey career, he played in a variety of minor leagues between 1951 and 1964. He served as an assistant and later the head coach of the Charlotte Checkers of theEastern Hockey League.He led the team from behind the bench for eight years, guiding the club to two Walker Cup Titles in 1970–71 and 1971–72. Creighton then coached theAtlanta Flamesfrom1975to1979,making the playoffs in his final four seasons as coach but losing in the first round of each year's postseason. Creighton was hired as coach of theBoston Bruinsin1979,but failed to mesh with powerful GM and former coachHarry Sinden,who fired Creighton with 15 days left in the regular season. In 1981, Creighton was then hired to coach theIndianapolis Checkers,the top Central Hockey League affiliate of theNew York Islanders,[2]where he led the team to Adams Cup championships in 1982 and 1983 and a spot in the CHL Finals in 1984. He became the Checkers' general manager when the team moved to the International Hockey League in 1984–85, and served as interim coach in the playoffs. In 1985, he again became the head coach of the Islanders' top affiliate, the AHL's Springfield Indians, full-time in 1985–86, and as a midseason replacement the following two years.[3]
After retirement, Creighton became a franchisee forLittle Caesarspizza. He died in 2011 due to complications from Alzheimer's disease.
NHL coaching stats
edit| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | Pts | Division Rank | Result | ||
| Atlanta Flames | 1974–75 | 28 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 29 | 2nd in Patrick | missed playoffs |
| Atlanta Flames | 1975–76 | 80 | 35 | 33 | 12 | 82 | 3rd in Patrick | Lost in quarter-finals |
| Atlanta Flames | 1976–77 | 80 | 34 | 34 | 12 | 80 | 3rd in Patrick | Lost in quarter-finals |
| Atlanta Flames | 1977–78 | 80 | 34 | 27 | 19 | 87 | 3rd in Patrick | Lost in quarter-finals |
| Atlanta Flames | 1978–79 | 80 | 41 | 31 | 8 | 90 | 4th in Patrick | Lost in quarter-finals |
| Boston Bruins | 1979–80 | 73 | 40 | 20 | 13 | (93) | 2nd in Adams | (fired) |
| Total | 421 | 196 | 156 | 69 | ||||
References
edit- ^"Fred Creighton, former NHL coach, dies at 78".RanchoMurieta. October 28, 2011. Archived fromthe originalon April 29, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 14,2012.
- ^"Fred Creighton hockey statistics and profile".hockeydb.RetrievedApril 30,2016.
- ^Eskenazi, Gerald (July 12, 1981)."Fred Creighton Is Back--But How Far?".The New York Times.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics fromEliteprospects,orThe Internet Hockey Database