Marc Joseph John Crawford (born February 13, 1961) is a Canadian professional
ice hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
head coachA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
, most recently employed by the
Dallas StarsThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
of the
National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. He was previously the head coach of three other organizations and won a Stanley Cup in 1996 with the
Colorado AvalancheThe Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
. He is also a former professional
ice hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward who played for the
Vancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
.
Playing career
Crawford was drafted by the
Vancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in the
1980 NHL Entry DraftThe 1980 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum. This was the first time that an NHL arena hosted the draft. The National Hockey League teams selected 210 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1979–80 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the...
in the fourth round, 70th overall. After three seasons of major junior in the
QMJHLThe Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
with the
Cornwall RoyalsThe Cornwall Royals were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1981 and the Ontario Hockey League from 1981 to 1992. This team should not be confused with other Cornwall Royals teams that played in the QSHL, MMJHL, or OHA-B.-History:From 1961 until 1969, the...
, he joined the Canucks in 1981–82.
As a
rookieRookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
, Crawford was a part of Vancouver's 1982 run to the
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
finals in which the Canucks were defeated by the
New York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
During his six seasons in the NHL, Crawford would split time between Vancouver and their
AHLThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
affiliate, the
Fredericton ExpressThe Fredericton Express were a professional ice hockey team based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. They played in the American Hockey League between 1981 and 1988. The Express were affiliated with the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
. As a result of constantly flying between the two cities, which are over 5,000 kilometers apart, he earned the nickname "747", though most contemporary Canucks fans know him as "Crow", a nickname coined during his tenure as a head coach with the team.
In total, Crawford's tallied 19 goals, 31 assists and 50 points in 176 games during his NHL career.
After a season in the IHL with the
Milwaukee AdmiralsThe Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...
, Crawford officially retired as a professional hockey player.
Coaching career
Immediately after retiring as a player, Crawford became a head coach in the
OHLThe Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
with the
Cornwall RoyalsThe Cornwall Royals were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1981 and the Ontario Hockey League from 1981 to 1992. This team should not be confused with other Cornwall Royals teams that played in the QSHL, MMJHL, or OHA-B.-History:From 1961 until 1969, the...
, whom he had previously played for in the QMJHL. After two less-than-stellar seasons with Cornwall, Crawford moved to the
AHLThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
, and in his first season with the
St. John's Maple LeafsThe St. John's Maple Leafs were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada at Memorial Stadium from 1991–2001, and at Mile One Stadium from 2001–2005.-History:...
, he took his team to the 1992
Calder CupThe Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
finals, losing to the
Adirondack Red WingsThe Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, USA at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
. The following season, Crawford was awarded the
Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial AwardThe Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award is an American Hockey League trophy awarded annually to the most outstanding coach during the season, as voted upon by members of the AHL media....
as the AHL's coach of the year.
In 1994–95, Crawford broke into the NHL with the
Quebec NordiquesThe Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
and achieved immediate success. As a result, he won the NHL's
Jack Adams AwardThe Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
as coach of the year. Furthermore, he is currently the youngest NHL coach in history to be distinguished with the Jack Adams.
The next season, the Nordiques franchise was relocated to
ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
as the
AvalancheThe Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, and Crawford won his first and only championship thus far as a player or coach in
1996The 1996 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by two teams that had not existed three seasons before, the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers. The Avalanche won the Cup in a four game sweep to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup, in their first season in Denver since...
, defeating the
Florida PanthersThe Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
in four games.
Crawford would continue to post successful regular season with the Avalanche in the next two seasons, but after an early first-round exit in the 1998 playoffs, Crawford resigned on May 27, 1998. Despite reportedly being offered a one-year contract extension by general manager Pierre Lacroix, Crawford decided to "move on and accept a new challenge."
Before his resignation with the Avalanche, Crawford was also the head coach of the
1998The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
Canadian Olympic hockey team where they finished a disappointing fourth. Many fans questioned his choice of players to take part in the semi-final shootout with the
Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, in which they lost, electing not to use future
Hall of FamersThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
Wayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
or
Steve YzermanStephen Gregory "Steve" Yzerman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League...
.
After a brief stint as an analyst on
Hockey Night in CanadaHockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
, Crawford replaced
Mike KeenanMichael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
as head coach of the
Vancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
midway through the 1998–99 season. Joining Vancouver in the midst of a rebuilding period for the franchise, Crawford slowly developed the Canucks into a successful regular season team, playing a fast-paced and offensively emphasized style of play. After one-and-a-half seasons, Crawford led Vancouver back to the playoffs, however, was defeated in the first round by his former team,
ColoradoThe Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
.
In 2002–03, Vancouver continued to improve under Crawford and posted a franchise record (since surpassed) of 104 points. The following season, they took the
Northwest DivisionThe NHL's Northwest Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Western Conference due to expansion. Like the Pacific Division, the Northwest Division is also a descendant of the former Smythe Division, as three of its Canadian teams played in that division from 1981–1993...
title from the Avalanche, who had won the previous nine division titles (inclusive of the
Pacific DivisionThe National Hockey League's Pacific Division is one of three divisions that make up the Western Conference. It was formed in 1993 as part of a league realignment...
prior to division restructuring, and the year before the move to Colorado as the
Quebec NordiquesThe Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
). Despite Vancouver's regular season success, they only managed to win one playoff series during Crawford's tenure and, compounded by the Canucks' failure to make the postseason in 2005–06, Crawford was let go by management on April 25, 2006, and replaced by
Alain Vigneault.
In six-and-a-half seasons' work with the Canucks, Crawford marked himself as the longest-serving and winningest head coach in franchise history, coaching 529 games and 246 wins. On February 3, 2006, one of his last games in Vancouver, he also became the third-youngest head coach in NHL history to reach 400 wins. At 48 years and 342 days, this mark trails only
Scotty BowmanWilliam Scott "Scotty" Bowman is a retired National Hockey League head coach. He holds the record for most wins in league history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
and
Glen SatherGlen Cameron "Slats" Sather is the President and general manager of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He has also served as the head coach of the Rangers, as well as General Manager and coach of the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association and later NHL...
.
Nearly a month after being let go, Crawford was hired by the
Los Angeles KingsThe Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, a team in a similar situation to that of the Canucks when Crawford first joined them. In his past two seasons with the Kings, he has missed the playoffs both times, marking the
2003–04 postseasonThe 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League began on April 7, 2004, following the 2003–04 regular season. The playoffs ended with the Tampa Bay Lightning securing the Stanley Cup with a seven-game series win over the Calgary Flames on June 7. It was Tampa Bay's first Stanley Cup...
as his last playoff appearance.
He lasted only two years with the Kings, who thought a change was necessary in the coaching position. On June 10, 2008, Crawford was fired by the Kings, although he had one year remaining on his initial contract.
During the
2008–09 seasonThe 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
, Crawford did
color commentaryA color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for
Hockey Night in CanadaHockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
alongside play-by-play
Mark LeeMark Lee is a Canadian sportscaster for CBC Sports who has covered women's ice hockey, Olympic games and the Pan Am Games. He quarterbacked the Carleton Ravens football team for four years, graduating with a journalism degree. He then worked as a news anchor at CFCF radio in Montreal...
.
A year after being fired from the Los Angeles Kings, Crawford was hired by the
Dallas StarsThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
general managerGeneral manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Joe NieuwendykJoseph Nieuwendyk is the general manager of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League and a retired Canadian ice hockey player...
to replace previous head coach
Dave TippettDavid G. Tippett is a National Hockey League head coach, currently of the Phoenix Coyotes. He is the 6th person to be the head coach of the Coyotes, and the 21st coach in the Phoenix Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets franchise. He is the former head coach of the Dallas Stars...
.
The Dallas Stars relieved Marc Crawford of his coaching duties on April 12, 2011, two days after the Stars' loss to the Minnesota Wild, that ultimately cost the team the opportunity to capture the eighth playoff berth in the Western Conference.
Awards and achievements
- Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award
The Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award is an American Hockey League trophy awarded annually to the most outstanding coach during the season, as voted upon by members of the AHL media....
(AHLThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
coach of the year) – 1993
- Jack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
(NHLThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
coach of the year) – 1995
- Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championship (Colorado AvalancheThe Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
) – 1996
- Team Canada Olympic
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
head coach – 1998
Coaching record
| Team | |Regular season |
| QUEThe Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
|
1994–95 |
48 |
30 |
13 |
5 |
– |
65 |
1st in Northeast The NHL's Northeast Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Adams Division...
|
2 |
4 |
.333 |
Conference Quarter-Finalist |
COLThe Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
|
1995–96 |
82 |
47 |
25 |
10 |
– |
104 |
1st in Pacific The National Hockey League's Pacific Division is one of three divisions that make up the Western Conference. It was formed in 1993 as part of a league realignment...
|
16 |
6 |
.615 |
Won Stanley Cup |
| COL |
1996–97 |
82 |
49 |
24 |
9 |
– |
107 |
1st in Pacific |
10 |
7 |
.588 |
Conference Finalist |
| COL |
1997–98 |
82 |
39 |
26 |
17 |
– |
95 |
1st in Pacific |
3 |
4 |
.429 |
Conference Quarter-Finalist |
| QUE/COL total |
294 |
165 |
88 |
41 |
– |
371 |
– |
31 |
21 |
.596 |
4 playoff appearances
1 Stanley Cup |
VANThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
|
1998–99 |
37 |
8 |
23 |
6 |
– |
|
4th in Northwest The NHL's Northwest Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Western Conference due to expansion. Like the Pacific Division, the Northwest Division is also a descendant of the former Smythe Division, as three of its Canadian teams played in that division from 1981–1993...
|
– |
– |
– |
Missed playoffs |
| VAN |
1999–2000 |
82 |
30 |
29 |
15 |
8 |
83 |
4th in Northwest |
– |
– |
– |
Missed playoffs |
| VAN |
2000–01 |
82 |
36 |
28 |
11 |
7 |
90 |
4th in Northwest |
0 |
4 |
.000 |
Conference Quarter-Finalist |
| VAN |
2001–02 |
82 |
42 |
30 |
7 |
3 |
94 |
2nd in Northwest |
2 |
4 |
.333 |
Conference Quarter-Finalist |
| VAN |
2002–03 |
82 |
45 |
23 |
13 |
1 |
104 |
2nd in Northwest |
7 |
7 |
.500 |
Conference Semi-Finalist |
| VAN |
2003–04 |
82 |
43 |
24 |
10 |
5 |
101 |
1st in Northwest |
3 |
4 |
.429 |
Conference Quarter-Finalist |
| VAN |
2005–06 |
82 |
42 |
32 |
– |
8 |
92 |
4th in Northwest |
– |
– |
– |
Missed playoffs |
| VAN total |
529 |
246 |
189 |
59 |
32 |
583 |
| 12 |
19 |
.387 |
4 playoff appearances |
LAThe Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
|
2006–07 |
82 |
27 |
41 |
– |
14 |
68 |
4th in Pacific |
– |
– |
– |
Missed playoffs |
| LA |
2007–08 |
82 |
32 |
43 |
– |
7 |
71 |
5th in Pacific |
– |
– |
– |
Missed playoffs |
| LA total |
164 |
59 |
84 |
– |
21 |
139 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
DALThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
|
2009–10The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
|
82 |
37 |
31 |
– |
14 |
88 |
5th in Pacific |
– |
– |
– |
Missed playoffs |
| DAL |
2010–11 |
82 |
42 |
29 |
– |
11 |
95 |
5th in Pacific |
– |
– |
– |
Missed playoffs |
| DAL total |
164 |
79 |
60 |
– |
25 |
183 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Total |
1151 |
549 |
421 |
100 |
77 |
1,271 |
|
43 |
40 |
.518 |
8 playoff appearances |
Moore incident
Crawford, along with Todd Bertuzzi and the Canucks, is the subject of a US$19 million lawsuit by
Steve MooreSteven Dean Moore is a former Canadian professional ice hockey center, best known for receiving what turned out to be a career-ending injury as a result of an illegal hit by then Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi....
.
Crawford was the subject of substantial criticism following the injury of Steve Moore. On February 16, 2004, Moore caused a concussion to Crawford's captain,
Markus NäslundSten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
, on a questionable hit. No penalty was called on the play, and the league later reviewed the incident and decided no penalty was warranted. However, Crawford was vocal about the incident and the failure of the league to respond.
During a March 8, 2004, rematch,
Todd BertuzziTodd Bertuzzi is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
grabbed Moore from behind, and rode him into the ice, causing Moore to suffer 3 broken vertebrae, multiple facial lacerations, and ultimately ending his career. In the ensuing commotion, while Moore was lying on the ice, Crawford was allegedly laughing at the situation.
Crawford, along with Bertuzzi and the Canucks organization, is the subject of a $ 19+ million (US) lawsuit by Moore. According to the suit, following the February 16 incident, Crawford encouraged his players to seek revenge, which led in part to the injury to Moore. Specifically, the suit alleges that Crawford, Bertuzzi, and former general manager Brian Burke entered into "an unlawful plan and agreement to assault, batter and injure Moore at a future date for the injuries that Näslund had suffered during the Feb. 16 game."
The Canucks were fined and paid $250,000 USD to the NHL for "...failure to prevent the atmosphere that may have led to the incident."
External links