(Zurich, Switzerland) The Lions have this Wednesday off, but Marc Crawford graciously agrees to take an hour out of his day to meet The Press in a café in the center of Switzerland’s economic metropolis. Selected pieces.
The Press : How did you end up in Switzerland, basically?
Marc Crawford: It was after I finished second for the job in Montreal in 2012. I did four interviews with the Canadian, it was between Mike [Therrien] and me. Then I tried my luck with Washington, but George McPhee told me: we are too far along with the other candidate. It was Adam Oates. So, I had just lost jobs two weeks in a row. And I really felt like I had lost jobs. So Zurich calls, invites me to come. I came up with a plan. And the timing was good, our daughter had just started college in Vancouver and our son had just gotten a job at the NHL Network. So the children were gone. And it was good.
LP : I imagine winning the championship in your second season here was a relief.
MC: Absolutely. But I continued to do interviews in the NHL. I had a very close relationship with Florida in 2014. We talked about a contract, a sign that it was serious. But that didn’t work either, they took Gerard [Gallant]. I was thinking about coming back, then at the Under-18 World Championship, Pat Brisson came to see me. “Take Auston [Matthews] in your club, it will help you come back. » So I listened to him, I stayed one more year, in 2015-2016, then Guy [Boucher] came to pick me up with the Senators.
LP : You then took over as interim after the dismissal of Guy Boucher and were a candidate to replace him in the summer of 2019. Were you discouraged not to have been selected?
MC: I coached the last 20 games of the season after he was fired, and I think I did a good job. It was disappointing not to have it, but I have experienced enough to know that sometimes it is beyond our control. I know there have been several negative things associated with me that have probably cost me positions. Nowadays, demanding as I am, I’m probably seen as too old school. Some coaches have styles similar to mine and are successful. And others didn’t have a chance. But I’m really happy with where I’m at. I know I’m not young anymore, but I really love what I do.
LP : Is this your last mandate?
MC: I don’t know, I’ll continue as long as I can. I need this job because I want to do this, I’m competitive, it helps me be who I am. But I’m just really comfortable in my life, sitting here in a café in Zurich!
PHOTO BEREND STETTLER / ZSC LIONS
Marc Crawford
LP : Exactly, we have been sitting here for an hour and no one has interrupted us. Are you a celebrity in town?
MC: I’m not as anonymous as I used to be. The team is still closely followed. But here, I am the Lions coach. I’m not an NHL veteran. And in this neighborhood, it’s full of students and tourists, so I’m less known!
LP : How do you assess the caliber of the Swiss league?
MC: The league is very good at the moment, because we have several good Swiss. And two years ago, we went from a limit of four foreigners to six. So that adds 30 good players. And it coincided with the KHL becoming less attractive, which attracted good Swedes and Finns.
LP : Your career could have taken a completely different turn if you had gotten the job with the Canadian. Would you have been happy in this market?
MC: My God, yes! But I don’t know if they would have kept me for long, that’s another question! When I was little, I didn’t like the Canadiens, I liked the Maple Leafs. But my father played in Chicoutimi, he met my mother there. And my brother [Eric] has been working there as a scout for 10 years. He survived the regime change. He is an excellent talent evaluator.
LP : And how is your French?
MC: That’s correct. [l’entrevue est en anglais, mais il nous accueille en français]. With the Nordiques, I had a tutor, Lucie, who closely monitored my French. The 1994 lockout was truly providential for me. Before, I took one class a week. During the lockout, it was every day. I was really nervous at my first press conference, but by the second, things started to go really well! And French allowed me to speak with my grandparents, my uncles and my aunts on my mother’s side.