Courtesy Plattsburgh Sports Information
PLATTSBURGH, NY. –– Nineteen-year coaching veteran and former Plattsburgh State men’s ice hockey All-American Steve Moffat ’98 has been named the seventh head men’s ice hockey coach in the 44-year history of the program, as announced Thursday by the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation. Moffat takes over the position from 30-year head coach Bob Emery, who retired following the 2018-19 season.
“I could not be more pleased than I am today to announce the selection of Steve Moffat as the next head men’s hockey coach of the Plattsburgh State Cardinals,” Plattsburgh State Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Mike Howard said. “It’s never an easy task to replace long-tenured coaches, let alone ones who have enjoyed legendary success the likes of Bob Emery. This was certainly a much easier task having Steve on board and ready to bring his wealth of experience as a tremendous student-athlete and an exceptional coach. I was able to spend a significant amount of time with Steve over the past few days discussing our collective vision for Cardinal Hockey, and there is no question that he is the best candidate to continue to move our program forward.”
Moffat served as an assistant coach at Plattsburgh State for a combined total of 16 years, with his first stint occurring from 2000-13 and his second stint occurring from 2016-19. He helped Plattsburgh State win eight State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) titles as an assistant coach, and he was on the coaching staff that helped guide the Cardinals to the 2000-01 NCAA Division III national championship. All told, Plattsburgh State made nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including five showings in the national semifinals, and went 312-130-33 overall (.692 winning percentage) during his tenure as an assistant.
During his time at Plattsburgh State, Moffat helped recruit and develop 13 All-Americans, 39 All-SUNYAC selections, three SUNYAC Rookies of the Year and one SUNYAC Player of the Year in addition to numerous Cardinals who went on to play professionally. He also was responsible for coaching the team’s forwards and special teams units.
From 2013-16, Moffat worked as the head men’s ice hockey coach at Castleton University, recruiting and coaching three All-Conference selections, one All-NEHC Rookie Team member and the 2015-16 New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) Rookie of the Year. He also led the Spartans to two appearances in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) East Tournament semifinals.
“I want to thank Director of Athletics Mike Howard and the entire search committee for the opportunity to lead the Plattsburgh State men’s hockey program,” Moffat said. “I also want to thank my wife, Toni, and son, Greyson, for their unwavering support. Without them, I would not be in this position. I want to thank Bob Emery for his leadership and dedication to Plattsburgh State Hockey. Bob’s coaching record obviously speaks for itself—and he is certainly an amazing coach—but more importantly, he is a better person and friend. I am very honored and humbled to have the opportunity to lead my alma mater. I look forward to working with the special group of men we have on our team. We are all excited to begin the next era of Cardinal Hockey.”
As a student-athlete, Moffat was one of the most decorated Cardinals in the program’s history, earning two All-America honors while playing for Plattsburgh State from 1994-98. The Hatboro, Pa., native recorded 205 points on 106 goals and 99 assists during his four years in a Cardinal uniform, and he currently ranks among the program’s all-time leaders in goals (third), points (sixth) and assists (tied for 11th). He led Plattsburgh State to SUNYAC titles during his junior and senior seasons, earning SUNYAC Tournament MVP honors in 1996-97. Moffat was also a three-time All-SUNYAC selection and was named the SUNYAC Co-Rookie of the Year in 1994-95. He was inducted into the Plattsburgh State Athletic Hall of Fame and was named to the Cardinal All-Decade Team for the 1995-2004 era.
After his college graduation, Moffat played professionally in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) for the Northeast Division champion Columbus Chill in 1998-99. The following season, he helped the Florida Everblades with the ECHL’s best record and 2000 Southeast Division crown.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of our search committee as well as our men’s hockey team and other key members of our leadership team for their work during this process,” Howard said. “We could not be more proud of our program’s long history of success, and I can assure the fans of Cardinal Country that we are committed to maintaining that tradition for many years to come under Steve’s leadership.”
Moffat earned his Bachelor of Arts in sociology in 1998 and his Master of Science in Education and C.A.S. in school counseling in 2002. Both degrees were conferred by SUNY Plattsburgh.