Core of the Coaching Staff: Dr. Craig Slaunwhite

Most Panthers’ fans know that Kevin Dineen has replaced Peter Deboer as head coach. That is usually the extent of common knowledge. A head coach needs a staff that can work together to put the best product possible on the ice. The Panthers have brought in depth, adding Craig Ramsay to be an assistant coach who can turn around the league’s worst power play, and retaining Gord Murphy to continue steering a penalty kill that surprisingly ranked 6th in the NHL. Two other coaches are often overlooked, but have very important roles. Rob Tallas, who is the goaltending coach and will have a separate post, and Dr. Craig Slaunwhite.

The triumvirate of Dineen, Ramsay, and Murphy may come together to form a balanced coaching staff that could lead the team into the playoffs. However, if the players get worn out or become injured, it can seriously strain their ability to consistently win.

This is where Dr. Craig Slaunwhite comes in. Doctor Slaunwhite is the Panthers strength and conditioning coach, a post he has held since being hired by then assistant GM Randy Sexton in 2009. A strength and conditioning coach usually works with the whole team, individual performance, and sometimes even the ownership-

@PanthersYormark – Back in south florida. Warm night. Looking forward to my early morning workout with our team strength coach at the saveology.com iceplex.

Pregame drills also fall under Doctor Slaunwhite’s jurisdiction. Check out Craig in this dated, though still informational, pregame video.

Dr. Slaunwhite joined the Panthers after receiving his Doctor of Chiropractic from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in June 2009. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Dalhousie University in 2003. In between all of this, he took up the challenge of being a personal trainer for elite athletes in the Toronto area. Having already worked with NHL and AHL players, he easily transitioned to the Panthers.

Dr. Slaunwhite wrote an article about rotational power that was featured in Men’s Fitness.

Doctor Slaunwhite is also an athlete himself.  Holding the captaincy of his basketball and track and field teams at Dalhousie University.

Here is more information on Dr. Craig Slaunwhite and what he does.

Thanks for reading! Look for my upcoming post on Robb Tallas.

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