Cancer takes long-time Oshawa Generals scout

Long-time Oshawa Generals scout Michael ‘Craiger’ Craig died early Sunday morning after a battle with colorectal cancer.

Craig, who was part of the staff of the team’s 2015 Memorial Cup championship, has been a teacher in the Cornwall area for more than 20 years and is very involved with the Special Olympics as a coach and mentor. He has been the Generals’ eastern Ontario scout for the past 15 years and helped the club sign Will Petschenig, Daniel Altshuller, Serron Noel, William Ennis, and current General Matthew Buckley among others.

The team shared the news – “with a heavy heart” – of Craig’s passing Monday morning.

“Throughout his career on and off the ice, Michael has selflessly helped and assisted so many students, Special Olympic participants, OHL and minor hockey players, touching and enriching countless lives,” the team said in a release.

A GoFundMe was set up for Craig after his diagnosis with a rare form of colorectal cancer that had proven very difficult to treat. The campaign was initiated by a former student at Cornwall Collegiate who started it as a birthday present to herself to raise $1,000 for the Craig family after hearing “Mr. Craig” had been diagnosed with cancer.

Craig (not to be confused with the former NHL player of the same name who played on the 1990 Memorial Cup-winning Generals squad) turned to scouting after wrapping up a playing career that included five years in Tier 1 with the Smith Falls Bears (he is the all-time leader in games played for the club), followed by another four at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.

He leaves behind his wife Melissa and their two sons James and Jacob.

It's with a heavy heart we share the passing of long-time scout Michael Craig.

The entire Oshawa Generals organization sends their love to the entire Craig family, his students, and all of the players who he crossed paths with.

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— Oshawa Generals (@Oshawa_Generals) July 10, 2023