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[Report] Marc Crawford a Candidate for Canucks Head Coach


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http://www.theprovince.com/touch/story.html?id=9907793

Marc Crawford will be in Vancouver Friday to MC a golf tournament, and if he does touch base with the Canucks about their current job opening, it wouldn't be the first time.

Crawford has had contact with the Canucks already this offseason about the job, and is emerging as something of a dark-horse candidate in a head coach search which still has no end in sight.

"I've been in contact with all three teams (looking for a coach) and have had varying degrees of success," said Crawford.

Crawford said hes participating in North Vancouver's Holy Trinity golf tournament Friday. There was word he may also be interviewing with the Canucks this week, but he said there was nothing formal scheduled.

"I hope I get a chance to speak with (Trevor Linden), but dont have anything set, yet," Crawford said.

The presumed front-runners for the Canucks job remain L.A. Kings assistant John Stevens and AHL coach Willie Desjardins. But both of their teams are still playing the Texas Stars are in the Calder Cup finals which has left the Vancouver search stuck in the mud.

President Trevor Linden, who is spearheading the search, is believed to have a list of candidates that goes at least five deep.

Crawford spent the past two seasons coaching in Switzerland, where his team, the Zurich Lions, just won the Swiss A League championship with a four-game sweep of the Kloten Flyers.

"It was outstanding for me, because you really coach again," Crawford said. "You only have one assistant and a goalie coach.

You do more. Youre so much more involved in the day-to-day coaching and I thought it really improved me.

It had me doing a lot more video than I've done before."

Crawford said his experience in Europe drove home the importance of practice. Of course, it was a lack of practice under John Tortorella which frustrated a lot of the Canucks last season.

"I really rediscovered my coaching legs in terms of how we practice and how I taught," Crawford said. "That was the best thing that ever could have happened to me. If I ever get the chance to coach (again in the NHL), Im going to implement a lot of those things."

Crawford will be viewed by some as a retread candidate, after coaching here for seven years before he was replaced with Alain Vigneault in 2006.

But he does have some intriguing selling points, including his familiarity with Linden, whom he coached for four seasons in Vancouver.

More importantly, however, is his emphasis on a fast-paced style of hockey which the Canucks have already established as a top priority.

On the other side of the ledger, before being run out of the NHL, Crawfords teams missed the playoffs five straight seasons, once in Vancouver and then twice in both L.A. and then Dallas.

That's led to concerns about whether his run-and-gun leanings can work in the Western Conference, where if you dont play defence, you dont play in May.

Now, Crawford does have offence down and that's important in Vancouver, where just about everyone conceded Tortorella's shot-blocking style was a disastrous fit for the Canucks puck-moving roster.

"You cant make that club a shot-blocking, forechecking team," Crawford said.

Does the roster already fit what Crawford likes to do?

"Absolutely. I know a lot of those guys," Crawford said. "I know what theyre capable of.

I watched more Canucks games than I probably did Zurich Lions games."

Crawford was asked if he agreed with new GM Jim Benning that the Canucks can be turned around quickly after an 83-point season with that north-of-30-year-old core.

He said the situation here was very fixable.

"They had a perfect storm of mishaps," Crawford said. "The top end is still quite good and that defence is a very good defence.

Youre looking at (Kevin) Bieksa, (Dan) Hamuis and (Alex) Edler who had a poor, poor year. Theres (Chris) Tanev, who by all reports has really come on by leaps and bounds, and (Jason) Garrison.

That's great.

On the forwards you start with the Sedins, and the change in the way they played to me was really ... I dont want to dump on anyone, but you can't change that club."

http://youtu.be/DjCd76W0Gfs

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What's wrong with Crawford?

Funny people were calling for Tortorella cause he won a cup 10 years ago, and had the "passion" our team needed. Crawford has a cup, plus he coaches an up-tempo style that the players are already familiar with.

As an assistant I think he would be a great hire. Any combo of him, Stevens, and Desjardins would be great.

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What's wrong with Crawford?

Funny people were calling for Tortorella cause he won a cup 10 years ago, and had the "passion" our team needed. Crawford has a cup, plus he coaches an up-tempo style that the players are already familiar with.

As an assistant I think he would be a great hire. Any combo of him, Stevens, and Desjardins would be great.

Yes

Dejardins

Crawford

Gulutzun

Literally 60 shots a game and a 40% PP

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If I was linden I would look at it like, ok if he sucks I'm an idiot. If I pick a guy that hasn't coached in van and already failed and he craps the bed, whatever he seemed like a good idea at the time.

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