Craig Norwich

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Craig Norwich (born December 15, 1955 in Edina, Minnesota) is a retired professional ice hockey player. Norwich led his Edina High School hockey team to the prestigious Minnesota State High School League Hockey Tournament three times, including captaining the 1974 championship team. In college, Norwich became the first (and only) defenceman in NCAA history to lead his team in scoring and win the NCAA Championship in the same season. As a professional he played in 145 games with the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association and 104 games in the National Hockey League with the Colorado Rockies (NHL), Winnipeg Jets, and St. Louis Blues. Norwich is currently the Director of Hockey Operations and Head Coach of the boys Varsity hockey team at St. Paul Academy and Summit School in St. Paul, MN.

Career Statistics

High School

   * Member of Edina High School State Tournament teams 1972, ’73, ‘74
   * Captained 1974 Edina High School team
   * 1974 Minnesota State High School League State Champions
   * Inducted into the Edina High School Hockey Hall of Fame

College

   * University of Wisconsin defensemen: 1974–77
   * Scored 168 points in 144 games (42 goals, 126 assists)
   * NCAA Championship: 1977
   * NCAA All-American: 1975–76, 1976–77 (only player in Wisconsin history to earn All-America honors twice)
   * NCAA Tournament All-Star First Team: 1977
   * WCHA All-Star First Team: 1976–77
   * WCHA All-Star Second Team: 1975–76
   * WCHA records: Most assists by a defensemen in a season (65 in 1976–77), most points by a defensemen in WCHA games in a season (63 in 1976–77), most assists by a defensemen in WCHA games in a season (49 in 1976–77)
   * Wisconsin records: Most career goals by a defensemen (42), most points by a defensemen in a season (83 in 1976–77), most assists by a defensemen in a season (65 in 1976–77), second in career assists by a defensemen (126) and career points by a defensemen (168)
   * Only defenceman in NCAA history to lead team in scoring and win the NCAA Championship in the same season (1976–77)
   * Inducted into University of Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame
   * Named one of Wisconsin’s Top 100 Athletes of the Century
   * Named to the WCHA All-Time Top 50 player list
   * American College Hockey Coaches Association: All-Time West Team selection

Post-College

   * Four time Team USA World Hockey Championships team member
   * Member of the 1981 U.S. World Hockey Championships fifth place team and the 1983 U.S. World Hockey Championships Gold medal team
   * 1983 World Hockey Championships All-World Team selection
   * Professional experience: WHA: Cincinnati Stingers, 1977–79 (87 points in 145 games); NHL: Winnipeg Jets, 1979–80 (45 points in 70 games); St. Louis Blues, Colorado Rockies, 1980–81 (30 points in 34 games)
   * NHL Totals: 75 points in 104 games
   * Played in the AHL during the 1981–82 season before joining the Gardenia Finstral club of Italy where he averaged over three points per game. Other European clubs played for include Lausanne (Switzerland), Groden (Italy), HC Fassa (Italy), Innsbruck (Austria), and Lake Como (Italy).
   * Retired from professional hockey in 1990.