New Mount Carmel Hockey Coach Craig Ferguson has a simple goal: to return the program to its old winning ways. Ferguson’s attitude is that “If you put something together at Mount Carmel you expect it to be the best.”  With that perspective in mind, he is committed to making MC a place where “Kids want to come to play hockey.”

Ferguson has seen it all in his career as both a player and coach. Ferguson’s accomplishments include winning nine Kennedy Cups: three as a player at Mount Carmel, two as an assistant coach, and four as a head coach, first at Mount Carmel, and later at St. Rita. Along the way of winning three Kennedy Cups as a player, Ferguson became the all-time leading point scorer at Mount Carmel and still holds that record today.

Coach Ferguson not only brings a history of success to the program, but valuable experience.  Ferguson grew up playing against NHL Hall of Famer Chris Chelios as a youth, then the two played as Caravan teammates for a year.   Ferguson recalled a vivid memory of Chelios scoring the game-winning goal with ten seconds left in game 3 to clinch the 1977 Kennedy Cup. That victory propelled Caravan Hockey to five straight Kennedy Cups.

Caravan hockey needs a turn around, and Ferguson aims to be the one to do it. This year’s senior players have skated for four head coaches since their freshman year. As senior Vinnie Albanese observed, ” It’s difficult to adapt as each coach has a different way of teaching players.” Still, Albanese is confident about what Ferguson can bring to the rink. “Coach Ferguson is truly the best at developing players.”

After the 2013 season at St.Rita, Ferguson returned to his Mount Carmel roots, accepting a position in the Advancement Office as Director of Alumni Relations. At that point he never thought he would be coaching high school hockey again, but when offered the opportunity to step behind the bench for the Caravan, he gladly took the opportunity to make Mount Carmel Hockey “something the school is proud of and excited for.”