Hutchinson, Craig

BORN JANUARY 19TH 1957 IN CANADA, he was sponsored from British Columbia to Australia in March 1982 by the Canterbury United club in Sydney where he played Centre, although he also played for the Warringah Bombers in the New South Wales Super League. [1] His two-year visa expired March 1984, but he had no difficulty in obtaining an extension. The number of "imports" allowed to a team by the AIHF at that time had just been reduced from eight to five, although it was still regarded by the International Ice Hockey Federation as too high. [1]

He came to Australia at the invitation of Mike Johnston, then assistant coach with the Warringah Bombers, whom he had played alongside in the Bobcats. Johnston had already played a season commuting to Newcastle and returned home after the 1981 season to eventually became coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL. Hutchinson remained and played nine seasons with the Bombers in the newly-formed New South Wales Super League, and two more with the Macquarie Bears at the end of his career. He won a total of six Super League championships.

He represented NSW in the Goodall Cup at Skateworld Gold Coast in September 1982 won by Victoria. In 1983 in the NSW Super League, he combined well in the Bombers with Jeff Taylor, winning the championship and also in the Slapshot 83 televised ice hockey series won by the Adelaide Flyers in Sydney. He was the regular season top point scorer and League MVP in 1984 and he also competed in Slapshot 84 where he was selected to the All star team with forwards Jeff Taylor (Bombers) and Darell Becker (Icemen); defenders Jim Fuyarchuk (Knights) and Juha Pohjola (Knights) in defence; and Dave Turik in net.

He won Goodall Cups for New South Wales in 1983, '84, and '85 and was awarded the John Nicholas Trophy, the Goodall Cup MVP, in the 1985 series. In 1988, he was selected for the Australian National Ice Hockey Team and played the President's Bicentennial Ice Hockey Championship held in Canberra against the touring Teen Ranch and the Iowa State Cyclones. He was among the best performers of the championship. In 1989 he again represented Australia in the IIHF C-Pool World Championships in Sydney Australia. He played left wing scoring 3 goals 3 assists in a series where Australia was relegated to Pool-D at home.

In 2014 he played for the WA Chiefs in the OiHAN Masters in Perth, Western Australia.