Craig Cunningham
Encyclopedia
Craig Cunningham is a Canadian ice hockey
centre
with the Boston Bruins
organization of the National Hockey League (NHL). He won a Memorial Cup
with the Giants in his rookie WHL season and was named to the WHL West First All-Star Team in 2010
. Cunningham was drafted 97th overall by the Boston Bruins
in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft
.
(WHL) 129th overall by the Vancouver Giants
in the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft
. He began his major junior career with the Giants in 2006–07, recording five assists over 48 games as a rookie. He then appeared in 15 WHL playoff games en route to a President's Cup and Memorial Cup
with the Giants as WHL and Canadian Hockey League
(CHL) champions. Over the next two seasons, he improved to 25- and 50-point campaigns.
Eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft
, Cunningham went unselected. He was subsequently invited by the New York Rangers
on a tryout basis to their 2009 Traverse City Prospects Tournament.
Entering his fourth WHL season with the Giants in 2009–10
, Cunningham quickly moved up the Giants depth chart as teammates Evander Kane
and James Wright
made their respective NHL teams. He was placed on the top line centring team captain Lance Bouma
and Brendan Gallagher
. Finishing the season with a junior career-high 37 goals and 97 points, he was first in team scoring and sixth among league scorers. He was nominated for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
as WHL Player of the Year, losing to Eastern Conference nominee Jordan Eberle
of the Regina Pats
. Cunningham was also named to the WHL West First All-Star Team as a unanimous selection, along with Giants teammate Kevin Connauton
.
In game two of the opening round of the 2010 WHL playoffs, Cunningham recorded a five-point game (two goals and three assists) in a 6–3 win over the Kamloops Blazers
. Two days later, on March 22, 2010, he was named the WHL Player of the Week, finish with four goals and seven points in two games. Two weeks later, on April 5, he received his second Player of the Week honour with three goals and three assists in the first two games of the second round against the Portland Winterhawks. The Giants advanced to the semifinals against the Tri-City Americans
, but lost in six games. Cunningham finished the playoffs with 12 goals and 24 points over 16 games.
Returning to junior, he was chosen as the Giants' new team captain
. Leading up to the WHL trade deadline, Cunningham was, however, struggling; on December 28, 2010, he was traded to the Portland Winterhawks along with a sixth round pick in the 2011 Bantam Draft in exchange for Spencer Bennett, Teal Burns, a first round pick in the 2011 Bantam Draft and a second round pick in the 2012 Bantam Draft. He quickly became a fan favorite in Portland earning himself the nickname "The Hamster" due to his small stature but tenacious spirit and leadership on the ice. He left the Giants as the team's all-time leader in regular season games played with 295.
(his second draft-eligible year) by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau
. He was drafted in the fourth round (97th overall) by the Boston Bruins.
On July 14, 2011, Cunningham signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins
.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
organization of the National Hockey League (NHL). He won a Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
with the Giants in his rookie WHL season and was named to the WHL West First All-Star Team in 2010
2009–10 WHL season
The 2009–10 WHL season is the 44th season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 17, 2009 and ended on March 14, 2010...
. Cunningham was drafted 97th overall by the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft
2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial record of 11 American-trained players were selected in...
.
Playing career
Cunningham was drafted into the Western Hockey LeagueWestern Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
(WHL) 129th overall by the Vancouver Giants
Vancouver Giants
The Vancouver Giants are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League . Inaugurated in 2001–02, the Giants have won one President's Cup in 2006 and one Memorial Cup in 2007 in their ten-season history...
in the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft
WHL Bantam Draft
The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the teams of the Western Hockey League select players who have graduated from bantam. The draft's order of selection depends on where the team finishes in the league standings. The teams that miss the playoffs are placed into a lottery for the...
. He began his major junior career with the Giants in 2006–07, recording five assists over 48 games as a rookie. He then appeared in 15 WHL playoff games en route to a President's Cup and Memorial Cup
2007 Memorial Cup
The 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup was played in May 2007 in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the Pacific Coliseum. The tournament was competed between the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers, the OHL champion Plymouth Whalers, the QMJHL champion Lewiston Maineiacs, and the host team and tournament...
with the Giants as WHL and Canadian Hockey League
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
(CHL) champions. Over the next two seasons, he improved to 25- and 50-point campaigns.
Eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft
2009 NHL Entry Draft
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft was the 47th Entry Draft. It was held on June 26–27, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The Draft was part of the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. National Hockey League teams took turns selecting amateur ice hockey players from junior, collegiate, or...
, Cunningham went unselected. He was subsequently invited by the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
on a tryout basis to their 2009 Traverse City Prospects Tournament.
Entering his fourth WHL season with the Giants in 2009–10
2009–10 WHL season
The 2009–10 WHL season is the 44th season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 17, 2009 and ended on March 14, 2010...
, Cunningham quickly moved up the Giants depth chart as teammates Evander Kane
Evander Kane
Evander Kane is a Canadian professional ice hockey left wing with the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League . Selected fourth overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Thrashers, he was drafted from the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League .During his major junior career, he won...
and James Wright
James Wright (ice hockey)
James Wright is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League...
made their respective NHL teams. He was placed on the top line centring team captain Lance Bouma
Lance Bouma
Lance Bouma is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Abbotsford Heat of the American Hockey League . He is a prospect of the Calgary Flames, drafted as their third round selection, 78th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut in January 2011...
and Brendan Gallagher
Brendan Gallagher
Brendan Gallagher is a Canadian junior winger with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League . He was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the 5th round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft...
. Finishing the season with a junior career-high 37 goals and 97 points, he was first in team scoring and sixth among league scorers. He was nominated for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
The Four Broncos Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the Western Hockey League's Player of the Year.The trophy is named in honour of four members of the Swift Current Broncos who were killed on December 30, 1986 in the Swift Current Broncos bus crash, an accident that occurred when the team bus...
as WHL Player of the Year, losing to Eastern Conference nominee Jordan Eberle
Jordan Eberle
Jordan Ryan Eberle is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League . He was selected in the first round, 22nd overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft...
of the Regina Pats
Regina Pats
The Regina Pats are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League. The Pats are based out of Regina, Saskatchewan and the Brandt Centre is their home arena.-History:...
. Cunningham was also named to the WHL West First All-Star Team as a unanimous selection, along with Giants teammate Kevin Connauton
Kevin Connauton
Kevin Connauton is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays within the Vancouver Canucks organization of the National Hockey League . Selected 83rd overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, he is a prospect for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
.
In game two of the opening round of the 2010 WHL playoffs, Cunningham recorded a five-point game (two goals and three assists) in a 6–3 win over the Kamloops Blazers
Kamloops Blazers
The Kamloops Blazers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League based out of Kamloops, British Columbia. They play their home games at Interior Savings Centre.-History:...
. Two days later, on March 22, 2010, he was named the WHL Player of the Week, finish with four goals and seven points in two games. Two weeks later, on April 5, he received his second Player of the Week honour with three goals and three assists in the first two games of the second round against the Portland Winterhawks. The Giants advanced to the semifinals against the Tri-City Americans
Tri-City Americans
The Tri-City Americans are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League, based in Kennewick, Washington. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center...
, but lost in six games. Cunningham finished the playoffs with 12 goals and 24 points over 16 games.
Returning to junior, he was chosen as the Giants' new team captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
. Leading up to the WHL trade deadline, Cunningham was, however, struggling; on December 28, 2010, he was traded to the Portland Winterhawks along with a sixth round pick in the 2011 Bantam Draft in exchange for Spencer Bennett, Teal Burns, a first round pick in the 2011 Bantam Draft and a second round pick in the 2012 Bantam Draft. He quickly became a fan favorite in Portland earning himself the nickname "The Hamster" due to his small stature but tenacious spirit and leadership on the ice. He left the Giants as the team's all-time leader in regular season games played with 295.
Boston Bruins
Cunningham was ranked 108th among North American prospects for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft2010 NHL Entry Draft
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial record of 11 American-trained players were selected in...
(his second draft-eligible year) by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau
NHL Central Scouting Bureau
The NHL Central Scouting Bureau or NHL Central Scouting Services is a department within the National Hockey League that ranks prospects for the NHL Entry Draft at specific times during the hockey season. Players are ranked based on how well they will translate to the professional game in the...
. He was drafted in the fourth round (97th overall) by the Boston Bruins.
On July 14, 2011, Cunningham signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2006–07 | Vancouver Giants Vancouver Giants The Vancouver Giants are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League . Inaugurated in 2001–02, the Giants have won one President's Cup in 2006 and one Memorial Cup in 2007 in their ten-season history... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
48 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 38 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | ||
| 2007–08 2007–08 WHL season The 2007–08 WHL season was the 42nd season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 20, 2007, and ended on March 16, 2008. The WHL Playoffs began on March 21, 2008, and ended on May 7, 2008.... |
Vancouver Giants | WHL | 67 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 72 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 WHL season The 2008–09 WHL season was the 43rd season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 18, 2008, and ended on March 15, 2009. The WHL Playoffs commenced on March 20, 2009, and the 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge series, featuring Team WHL versus the Russian Selects, took... |
Vancouver Giants | WHL | 72 | 28 | 22 | 50 | 62 | 17 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 12 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 WHL season The 2009–10 WHL season is the 44th season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 17, 2009 and ended on March 14, 2010... |
Vancouver Giants | WHL | 72 | 37 | 60 | 97 | 44 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 12 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 WHL season The 2010–11 WHL season is the 45th season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 24, 2010 and ended on March 20, 2011. The 2010 Subway Super Series, featuring Team WHL versus Team Russia, took place from November 17–18, 2010.... |
Vancouver Giants | WHL | 36 | 10 | 35 | 45 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 WHL season The 2010–11 WHL season is the 45th season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 24, 2010 and ended on March 20, 2011. The 2010 Subway Super Series, featuring Team WHL versus Team Russia, took place from November 17–18, 2010.... |
Portland Winterhawks | WHL | 35 | 17 | 25 | 42 | 25 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 12 | ||
| WHL totals | 330 | 103 | 161 | 264 | 272 | 79 | 25 | 45 | 70 | 57 | ||||
Awards
- WHL West First All-Star Team – 2010
- WHL Player of the Week – March 14–21 and March 28 – April 4, 2010