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Heggs Named Head Coach of Springfield Junior Blues Craig Heggs, who served the longest tenure of any assistant coach under UW-Stevens Point hockey coach Joe Baldarotta, has been named the head coach of the Springfield (Ill.) Junior Blues of the North American Junior Hockey League. Heggs, 42, spent four years under Baldarotta at UW-Stevens Point and returns to his roots in the NAJHL where he was the general manager and coach for the Danville Wings in 1995-96 and, previously, the head coach of the St. Louis Jr. Blues. "Stevens Point has been the most positive experience of my life," Heggs said. "Joe Baldarotta gave me a great opportunity and truly saved my hockey career. He helped me get into a college situation that has been very successful." Heggs was a member of last season’s Northern Collegiate Hockey Association regular season championship team and the 1998 NCAA Division III runner-up team at UW-Stevens Point. "We were like co-coaches," said Baldarotta, who is the only other coach to have a longer term as a full-time assistant at UW-Stevens Point than Heggs. "He made individual players better, practices better and game plans better." "We’re very grateful for the four outstanding years Craig gave to our hockey program," UW-Stevens Point Athletics Director Frank O’Brien said. "We are unquestionably a better program after having him here. We will miss him and wish him the best of luck." Heggs, a St. Louis native, played collegiately at Northern Arizona University and professionally in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League. He takes over a team that was 28-24-4 last season. The Blues recently were purchased by the Crawford family, which includes current Vancouver Canucks coach and 1998 Canadian Olympic Coach Marc Crawford. "I’m really challenged by the future," Heggs said. "But it’s a mix of emotions. I’m excited about the opportunity, but when a player walks by it’s tough to know you’re leaving a great place." |
Heggs Named Junior Head Coach