Craig prospering at RMU
Former Niagara North Stars defenceman Michael Craig is off to a strong start in his sophomore season with the Robert Morris Colonials. Photos: ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY.
Michael Craig has made more than his share of stops en route to his dream of playing NCAA Division 1 hockey.
The 22-year-old grew up in St. Catharines playing AAA for the Niagara North Stars before making the leap into junior as 16-year-old rookie with the Thorold Blackhawks of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
From there it was on to the Buffalo Jr. Sabres of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and then three seasons with the Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League where he was part of a BCHL championship in 2021-22 and captain in his final year.
Craig made another huge leap last year joining the Robert Morris Colonials of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Atlantic Hockey Association Conference.
“I think the progression has been really nice,” Craig said. “It’s kind of something that from the beginning, leaving minor midget and going to play junior B, I’ve always kind of had the idea, me and my dad, just go where I’m going to be able to play.
“I didn’t really want to bite off too much more than I can chew and kind of just take each progression at the right time.”
Craig felt all the steps were necessary into making him the player he his is today.
“It was a natural progression of going up through the ranks and I think that was really important,” said Craig, who is majoring in business management. “From a development side, especially being kind of a little bit of a late bloomer — I matured a little bit later — just taking the time and just playing the game, playing the game a lot of minutes every night at the highest level you can at the right time.”
Craig was selected by the Niagara IceDogs in the ninth round of the 2018 Ontario Hockey League draft and admitted being tempted to give the OHL a shot.
“When I grew up, I was a super fan. I was at the games,” he said. “I was even shovelling the benches at the 10 minute mark when I was when I was really little. So just to hear my name called, that obviously at that time was a super big deal, something that I’m still super proud of. And just to be a part of that organization in that manner was a huge deal. I just thought that the opportunity to go to school and play in front of your peers in that environment was something that appealed to me. And it’s definitely a tough decision because I would have loved to have loved to suit up for the hometown team, but I ended up working out.”
And then some.
Craig, who received a scholarship to attend RMU, had an outstanding rookie season playing in all 39 games and finishing with 39 blocked shots and 41 shots on goal.
This season Craig is off to a great start with three goals and nine points in just seven games.
“It’s been good but the most fun part about playing is winning games,” he said. “We’ve been doing it. We wanted to have a good start to the year and keep it going.”
The Colonials are in their second season since returning from two-year hiatus after the school cut the men’s and women’s hockey programs due to budgetary concerns.
“I think definitely a little bit last year we were just happy to have the program back on its feet but I think this year that stuff’s in the past and now it’s not just you know being content with playing them but winning them and contending for a championship this year,” Craig said “We have a really good roster; I think we’re capable of doing some good things.”
Craig was thrilled when asked to be a co-captain.
“Obviously a tremendous honour from the coaching staff and then obviously my teammates,” he said. “At the same time, it’s not necessarily something that you think about or a goal that you set. It’s just me being me and that kind of just comes along with it. I try and approach every season the same way and you know whether you’re wearing a letter on your chest or not it’s kind of just going about the way going about things the same way for me and You know a little bit of added responsibility, it’s something I’m able to take.”
Off the ice, Craig sounds like he is having a blast.
“School’s good. We have an awesome, awesome group of guys here on campus. We have a younger squad, so there’s about 22 of us that live together on campus. We have fun every day, so I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
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