Chicago Blackhawks continue sweeping changes by firing assistant coaches Marc Crawford and Rob Cookson
The Chicago Blackhawks brought in assistant coach Rob Cookson in mid-November to bring a “fresh perspective.”
They promoted Marc Crawford to associate coach at the same time to be a no-nonsense right hand to interim head coach Derek King.
Neither Cookson nor Crawford will be part of the team’s ongoing makeover after the team finished with a 28-42-12 record.
“They have made significant contributions to our club and we appreciate their dedication,” the Blackhawks said in a statement Sunday. “We wish them the best in their future endeavors.”
Cookson, who helped King coach the forwards, had an expiring contract that wasn’t renewed. Cookson had coached Hawks forward Philipp Kurashev with HC Lugano in Switzerland.
Crawford, who coached the Colorado Avalanche to the 1996 Stanley Cup, first joined the Hawks as Jeremy Colliton’s assistant in June 2019. Under King, Crawford coached the defensemen but often was the one barking expletives at players during practice — the iron fist to King’s velvet glove.
“He’s old-school. He’s intense,” rookie defenseman Alec Regula said of Crawford in February.
The Hawks suspended Crawford in December 2019 while investigating abuse allegations, but kept him on staff because he had “proactively sought professional counseling,” which began in 2010.
During his leave, some players defended Crawford, saying he spoke openly about hockey’s changing culture and that Crawford hadn’t had any reported incidents since then.
King, still fresh from coaching minor-league affiliate Rockford IceHogs, leaned heavily on Crawford as a co-coach, having him help early on with setting lineups and managing games.
“Me and Crow are different, different styles. We’re kind of opposites,” King told the Tribune in April, but added he appreciated that Crawford wasn’t shy about expressing his opinions.
Had “Crow” and “Cookie” been retained, King said he “would definitely sit with them and pick their brain” about changing some of the Hawks’ schemes.
It’s becoming more and more apparent the Hawks are interested in making drastic changes, from the bench to the front office.
On March 4, the team dismissed vice president of amateur scouting Mark Kelley and assistant general manager of pro evaluation Ryan Stewart.
Mike Doneghey oversaw amateur scouting before Davidson hired associate general manager Norm Maciver, bringing pro and amateur scouting under his authority.
On Thursday, Davidson named former Cubs executive Jeff Greenberg as his other associate general manager, putting Greenberg in charge of modernizing hockey operations, including improving the quality and flow of information about players from the minors to the top level. Davidson liked that Greenberg could bring some methods from baseball that aren’t being used in hockey.
