Long-time NHL coach Crawford returns to Zurich Lions for second stint
Published
Marc Crawford is returning to the Zurich Lions of the Swiss National League for a second stint as their head coach, the team announced on Wednesday.
Crawford was the head coach of the club for four seasons from 2012 to 2016 and won a National League championship in 2014 and a Swiss Cup in 2016.
The 61-year-old notably recruited and coached coveted prospect Auston Matthews during the 2015-16 season rather than him joining the Canadian Hockey League or the NCAA.
Crawford most recently an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks and was let go at the end of the 2021-22 NHL season with a year remaining on his contract.
In 2019-2020, he was suspended by the Blackhawks for seven games after several of his former players publicly accused Crawford of physical and verbal abuse throughout his coaching career.
The Belleville, Ont. native has a 556-431-103-79 record in 1,169 career NHL games as a head coach with stints with the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars, and Ottawa Senators.
Crawford won the 1995 Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year and led the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup victory in 1996.