Thompson-born Keith McCambridge, whose family later moved south to St. Andrew's, Man., has been named assistant coach by the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. McCambridge replaces Jay Wells and joins head coach Scott Arniel and goaltender coach Rick St. Croix on the Moose bench.
McCambridge comes to the Moose from the East Coast Hockey League's Alaska Aces, where he served as head coach. Last season, McCambridge led the Aces to within a game of their second Kelly Cup title in four years when they lost the seventh game of the finals at home to the South Carolina Stingrays. His two-year record as head coach during the regular season was 86-50-8 (.625), including the club's fourth West Division and third National Conference title in five years this past season.
McCambridge's teams went 20-10 (.667) in the playoffs, sweeping defending ECHL champion Idaho in a first-round series back in 2008 and winning 12 of 14 games on the way to the Kelly Cup finals this past season. His departure ends a seven-year tenure with the Aces, including three years as a playing captain and one as an assistant coach. McCambridge closed out his playing career in 2006, when Alaska defeated Gwinnett in five games to capture the ECHL championship.
Prior to that, McCambridge played nine seasons in both the International Hockey League and AHL, holding spots on the Saint John Flames, Las Vegas Thunder, Providence Bruins, Houston Aeros and Cleveland Barons. In 1999-2000, the left-handed defenceman played three games with the Manitoba Moose in the IHL where he accumulated one assist and four penalty minutes. He played 378 games in the AHL earning nine goals, 21 assists and 1057 penalty minutes in the regular season.
McCambridge spent four seasons with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League after playing one season for the Selkirk Steelers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. He was an eighth-round draft pick of the Calgary Flames, 201st overall, in the 1994 NHL entry draft.
