Vegas Golden Knights: 3 Facts New GM Kelly McCrimmon

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Kelly McCrimmon was promoted to General Manager of the Las Vegas Golden Knights from his prior role as assistant GM. George Mcphee isn’t going anywhere he will still be president of hockey operations.

Kelly McCrimmon was being courted by Edmonton and on the top of the list to become the general manager of the new Seattle expansion team. George Mcphee and the Golden Knights couldn’t let McCrimmon go because he’s seen as an integral part of the Golden Knights early success with his input on the initial expansion draft and bringing in defensive minded forward Mark Stone.

For that reason Kelly was promoted from assistant general manager to full fledged general manager with George Mcphee taking the title of president of hockey operations. The assistant GM position will not be back filled.

Kelly McCrimmon will be getting more of the spotlight with his new title. Mcphee and McCrimmon will be teaming up dealing with other teams when it comes to trades and personnel decisions. Now that we’ll be hearing his name more often here are three things that will get you to know him better.

KAZAN, RUSSIA – SEPTEMBER 7, 2018: Portraits of the HC Lokomotiv Yaroslavl players killed in a 2011 plane crash during a memorial event ahead of a 2018/19 Kontinental Hockey League Regular Season match between Ak Bars Kazan and Barys Astana at Tatneft Arena. Yegor Aleyev/TASS (Photo by Yegor AleyevTASS via Getty Images) /

Kelly’s brother Brad McCrimmon passed away in a plane crash.

Kelly’s brother Brad McCrimmon was set to make his head coaching debut with the KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl for the 2011-12. On 7th of September 2011 the plane Brad was on along with the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team passed away during a plane crash that happened near the team’s home town of Yaroslavl Russia.

They were on their way to the first game of the KHL season. Brad McCrimmon would never get the chance to head coach a professional team. The only survivor was the flight engineer. Making things worse for Kelly and his family human error was to blame for the plane crash.

The promotion while a source of joy for McCrimmon and his family doesn’t stop him from thinking about his brother and their history as a hockey family. David Schoen in his article for the Review Journal quoted McCrimmon:

“I think about him every day, always fondly,” McCrimmon said. “There’s occasions like this where it kind of grabs ya.”

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KELOWNA, BC – NOVEMBER 03: Baron Thompson #28 of the Brandon Wheat Kings warms up against the Kelowna Rockets at Prospera Place on November 3, 2018 in Kelowna, Canada. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images) /

Kelly McCrimmon owns the Brandon Wheat Kings

The Brandon Wheat Kings are a junior ice hockey team from the Canadian province of Manitoba. The play in the Western Hockey league and have had some success over the last few years winning the championship in the 2015-16 season and making the playoffs the next two years. They missed the playoffs this season unable to get another taste of their recent success.

Kelly McCrimmon bought a piece of the team in 1992 and then the entire team in 2000. He even served as the team’s head coach through most of the 2000s. There is no conflict of interest rule I could find having a general manager of an NHL team being the owner of a junior hockey league team. Although I’m curious how much time he can give to the Brandon Wheat Kings while being a huge part of a Stanley Cup caliber NHL team.

In news I’m sure would have been a big deal to Kelly and his family if it weren’t for his Golden Knights promotion happening on the same day he was announced to be an inductee for the Manitoba hockey hall of fame. Both accolades are career milestone for which he can be proud.

At the trade deadline the Las Vegas Golden Knights made a trade for right winger Mark Stone. The Ottawa Senators received prospect Erik Brannstrom and forward Oscar Lindberg along with a 2020 second-round pick. Although the trade sounded steep the Golden Knights were able to immediately sign Stone to an 8 year deal keeping the underrated defensive minded forward a Golden Knight for long term.

Kelly McCrimmon coached Mark Stone as a young player with none other than the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League. Their relationship was intact with McCrimmon picking up Mark Stone at the airport. The same cited article from the Las Vegas Weekly quotes Stone talking about Kelly McCrimmon:

“Him being here is comforting. He understands what good people are all about, so I knew that between him and George [McPhee]and Bill [Foley], they put good people in good places. I’ve noticed that ever since I got here.”

It’s unlikely that Mark Stone either came or wouldn’t have come because of Kelly McCrimmon but it helps to have a real ‘hockey guy’ from a hockey family in the Vegas Golden Knights. Hockey is new to the Vegas valley but exciting to know as Golden Knights fans we can attract the talent both on and off the ice to keep the squad as one of the elite teams in the NHL.

Next. Kelly McCrimmon announced as GM. dark

Are you excited the Golden Knights were able to keep Kelly McCrimmon in the organization? What was the most interesting part of his life you read in the article?

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