Joe Crozier
Encyclopedia
Joseph Richard Crozier is a former professional ice hockey
defenceman
and head coach who played and coached primarily in the minor leagues.
After playing the better part of 12 seasons in the minor leagues with the Quebec Aces
of the Quebec Senior Hockey League
, which included a brief five game stint in the National Hockey League
with the Toronto Maple Leafs
, Crozier retired in 1961 and became a head coach for 22 years, beginning in 1963. He had also previously been a head coach for the Quebec Aces while he was still playing with them in 1957–58.
As a head coach in several leagues, Crozier is a three-time Calder Cup
champion with the Rochester Americans
of the American Hockey League
, a two-time Lester Patrick Cup
championship with the Vancouver Canucks
of the Western Hockey League
, and a Memorial Cup
champion with the Kitchener Rangers
of the Ontario Hockey League
. During his coaching career, he also made brief appearances in the National Hockey League
with the Buffalo Sabres
for two and half seasons and the Toronto Maple Leafs
from the end of 1979–80 to the first half of 1980–81.
In 1985, Crozier was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
for his individual efforts, then once again in 2007 as part of a team induction of the Memorial Cup
-runners-up 1948–49 Brandon Wheat Kings
.
with the Brandon Wheat Kings
. In his first season in 1947–48, he was named to the MJHL Second All-Star Team, then the First All-Star Team the following year. His second and final year in Brandon culminated in an eight-game Memorial Cup
final series against the Montreal Royals
. The seven-game series was extended an extra game as game three had ended in a 3–3 tie. Although Crozier scored the first goal in the final and deciding eight game, the Royals scored four times in the third period to defeat the Wheat Kings 6–4. They were later inducted as a team into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
58 years later in 2007.
Turning professional in 1949 with the San Francisco Shamrocks of the Pacific Coast Hockey League
, he began a long career in the minor leagues. After playing a season with the Vancouver Canucks
in 1950–51, he joined the Quebec Aces
of the Quebec Senior Hockey League
. Crozier would remain with the Aces for eight seasons, earning Second All-Star Team honours in 1954 after a 27-point campaign and First Team honours in 1957 after recording 37 points. During the 1957–58 season, Crozier also acted as team head coach.
In 1959–60
, Crozier joined the Rochester Americans
of the American Hockey League
, then earned a break with the Toronto Maple Leafs
of the National Hockey League
. He played five games with the Leafs, his only appearance in the NHL as a player, recording 3 assists.
After his brief NHL stint, Crozier finished his playing career with the Spokane Spokes
of the Western Hockey League
in 1959–60 and one more season with the Rochester Americans in 1960–61
.
of the Quebec Senior Hockey League
, while still playing defence with the team, posting a 29–31–4 record. Upon retiring in 1961, he became a head coach for the Charlotte Checkers of the minor professional Eastern Hockey League
in 1962. After one season with the Checkers, he joined the Rochester Americans
of the American Hockey League
, with whom he had previously played two seasons with as a player. In 1965, his second season as head coach of the Americans, he won his first of three Calder Cups, as AHL champion, during five seasons with the team.
Fresh off of his third Calder Cup and fourth consecutive trip to the AHL finals, he became head coach for the Vancouver Canucks
of the Western Hockey League
, with whom he had also previously played for early in his career. Crozier immediately won two Lester Patrick Cup
s as WHL champion in his only two seasons with Vancouver.
After the second WHL championship in 1970, the Canucks were absorbed by the National Hockey League
and Crozier briefly returned to the AHL to coach the Cincinnati Swords
. However, after a heart attack to Buffalo Sabres
coach "Punch" Imlach
, Crozier was given Imlach's position and made his National Hockey League
coaching debut in 1972. Although he finished the Sabres' 1971–72 season with just 8 wins in 36 games, Crozier coached the Sabres to a playoff berth the following season, posting a winning record of 37–27–14. However, after finishing his third season with the Sabres out of the playoffs, he was replaced by Floyd Smith
after the 1973–74 season.
Upon leaving the Sabres, he joined the NHL-rival-league World Hockey Association
with the Vancouver Blazers
in 1974–75, then the Calgary Cowboys
for two seasons as the franchise relocated. In 1975–76, Crozier made it to the semi-finals with the Cowboys but lost to the Winnipeg Jets. In his third and final season with the Blazers-Cowboys franchise, in which Calgary failed to make the playoffs, Crozier dumped the team's spare hockey sticks from the bench onto the ice during a game in protest of a disputed call. Another incident with the Cowboys involves a mishap while trying to return to Calgary after a game against the San Diego Mariners
. The pilot had failed to refuel and there was not enough gas to return home. Although Crozier asked the team to collectively pitch in, they still did not have enough money. The team was bailed out by their play-by-play announcer who used his wife's Texaco
card to front the $1,500 bill. During his stint with the franchise, Crozier also rose to the position of general manager.
In 1979–80, after beginning the season in the AHL coaching the New Brunswick Hawks
, Crozier received his second break in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs
, replacing, once again, "Punch" Imlach mid-season. He coached the Leafs for the final 10 games of the regular season, but they were swept in the first round of the 1980 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Minnesota North Stars
in three games. The following season, the Leafs started with just 13 wins in the first 40 games and Crozier was replaced mid-season with Mike Nykoluk
.
After his second NHL stint, Crozier joined the Kitchener Rangers
of the major junior Ontario Hockey League
for two seasons, replacing Orval Tessier
. The Rangers had just come off a Memorial Cup
final game loss to the Cornwall Royals
the previous season and in his first season with the team, they returned to the Memorial Cup, winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup
as the OHL champion. The Rangers made it to the 1982 Memorial Cup
Final and defeated the Sherbrooke Castors
7–4 to capture Crozier and the Rangers' first Canadian Hockey League
title. With the team, Crozier future NHL stars Scott Stevens
and Brian Bellows
.
Coming off their Memorial Cup championship, Crozier and the Rangers finished with a strong 45–23–2 record in 1982–83, but fell to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
in the third round. After two seasons with the Rangers, Crozier returned to the Rochester Americans for one season, in which they reached the 1984 Calder Cup Final against the Maine Mariners
, but lost in five games. Crozier then retired after the 1983–84 season.
Shortly after his retirement, Crozier was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1985 for his individual efforts.
Coaching career
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Ice hockey
Ice 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...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
and head coach who played and coached primarily in the minor leagues.
After playing the better part of 12 seasons in the minor leagues with the Quebec Aces
Quebec Aces
The Quebec Aces, also known in French as Les As de Québec, were an amateur and later a professional men's ice hockey team from Quebec City, Quebec. The Aces were founded in 1928, and played until 1971. The team played home games at the Quebec Coliseum from 1930 to 1971.The Aces were Allan Cup...
of the Quebec Senior Hockey League
Quebec Senior Hockey League
The Quebec Senior Hockey League was an ice hockey league that operated between 1941 and 1959 in Québec, Canada. From 1941, it operated on an amateur basis, before becoming the semi-professional Quebec Hockey League in 1953...
, which included a brief five game stint in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The 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...
with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Crozier retired in 1961 and became a head coach for 22 years, beginning in 1963. He had also previously been a head coach for the Quebec Aces while he was still playing with them in 1957–58.
As a head coach in several leagues, Crozier is a three-time Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The 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...
champion with the Rochester Americans
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The 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...
, a two-time Lester Patrick Cup
Lester Patrick Cup
The Lester Patrick Cup was the championship trophy of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League from 1949 to 1974. Originally known as the President's Cup, the trophy was renamed in 1960 to honor pacific coast hockey pioneer and legend Lester Patrick following his death on June...
championship with the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks (WHL)
The Vancouver Canucks were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. Inaugurated in 1945 with the PCHL, they became a WHL team with the merger of the PCHL with the Western Canada Senior Hockey League in 1952...
of the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League (minor pro)
The Western Hockey League was a minor pro ice hockey league that operated from 1952 to 1974. Managed for most of its history by Hockey Hall of Fame member Al Leader, it was created out of the merger of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League...
, and a Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
champion with the Kitchener Rangers
Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted...
of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The 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....
. During his coaching career, he also made brief appearances in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The 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...
with the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
for two and half seasons and the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
from the end of 1979–80 to the first half of 1980–81.
In 1985, Crozier was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...
for his individual efforts, then once again in 2007 as part of a team induction of the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
-runners-up 1948–49 Brandon Wheat Kings
Brandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the...
.
Playing career
A native of Winnipeg, Crozier played junior hockey in the Manitoba Junior Hockey LeagueManitoba Junior Hockey League
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The MJHL is one of eleven Junior 'A' Hockey Leagues in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League ....
with the Brandon Wheat Kings
Brandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the...
. In his first season in 1947–48, he was named to the MJHL Second All-Star Team, then the First All-Star Team the following year. His second and final year in Brandon culminated in an eight-game Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
final series against the Montreal Royals
Montreal Royals
The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec, that existed from 1897–1917 and from 1928–60 as a member of the International League and its progenitor, the original Eastern League...
. The seven-game series was extended an extra game as game three had ended in a 3–3 tie. Although Crozier scored the first goal in the final and deciding eight game, the Royals scored four times in the third period to defeat the Wheat Kings 6–4. They were later inducted as a team into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...
58 years later in 2007.
Turning professional in 1949 with the San Francisco Shamrocks of the Pacific Coast Hockey League
Pacific Coast Hockey League
The Pacific Coast Hockey League was an ice hockey minor league with teams in the western United States and western Canada that existed in several incarnations: from 1928 to 1931, from 1936 to 1941, and from 1944 to 1952.-PCHL 1928-1931:...
, he began a long career in the minor leagues. After playing a season with the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks (WHL)
The Vancouver Canucks were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. Inaugurated in 1945 with the PCHL, they became a WHL team with the merger of the PCHL with the Western Canada Senior Hockey League in 1952...
in 1950–51, he joined the Quebec Aces
Quebec Aces
The Quebec Aces, also known in French as Les As de Québec, were an amateur and later a professional men's ice hockey team from Quebec City, Quebec. The Aces were founded in 1928, and played until 1971. The team played home games at the Quebec Coliseum from 1930 to 1971.The Aces were Allan Cup...
of the Quebec Senior Hockey League
Quebec Senior Hockey League
The Quebec Senior Hockey League was an ice hockey league that operated between 1941 and 1959 in Québec, Canada. From 1941, it operated on an amateur basis, before becoming the semi-professional Quebec Hockey League in 1953...
. Crozier would remain with the Aces for eight seasons, earning Second All-Star Team honours in 1954 after a 27-point campaign and First Team honours in 1957 after recording 37 points. During the 1957–58 season, Crozier also acted as team head coach.
In 1959–60
1959–60 AHL season
The 1959–60 AHL season was the 24th season of the American Hockey League. Seven teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The Quebec Aces become the first Canadian-based team in the league...
, Crozier joined the Rochester Americans
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The 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...
, then earned a break with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The 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 played five games with the Leafs, his only appearance in the NHL as a player, recording 3 assists.
After his brief NHL stint, Crozier finished his playing career with the Spokane Spokes
Spokane Spokes
The Spokane Spokes were a minor league professional ice hockey team that operated from 1958-1960 in the Western Hockey League....
of the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League (minor pro)
The Western Hockey League was a minor pro ice hockey league that operated from 1952 to 1974. Managed for most of its history by Hockey Hall of Fame member Al Leader, it was created out of the merger of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League...
in 1959–60 and one more season with the Rochester Americans in 1960–61
1960–61 AHL season
The 1960–61 AHL season was the 25th season of the American Hockey League. Seven teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The All-Star Game was not played, and put on hold until resurrected in the 1994–95 AHL season...
.
Coaching career
Crozier made his head coaching debut in 1957–58 with the Quebec AcesQuebec Aces
The Quebec Aces, also known in French as Les As de Québec, were an amateur and later a professional men's ice hockey team from Quebec City, Quebec. The Aces were founded in 1928, and played until 1971. The team played home games at the Quebec Coliseum from 1930 to 1971.The Aces were Allan Cup...
of the Quebec Senior Hockey League
Quebec Senior Hockey League
The Quebec Senior Hockey League was an ice hockey league that operated between 1941 and 1959 in Québec, Canada. From 1941, it operated on an amateur basis, before becoming the semi-professional Quebec Hockey League in 1953...
, while still playing defence with the team, posting a 29–31–4 record. Upon retiring in 1961, he became a head coach for the Charlotte Checkers of the minor professional Eastern Hockey League
Eastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
in 1962. After one season with the Checkers, he joined the Rochester Americans
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The 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...
, with whom he had previously played two seasons with as a player. In 1965, his second season as head coach of the Americans, he won his first of three Calder Cups, as AHL champion, during five seasons with the team.
Fresh off of his third Calder Cup and fourth consecutive trip to the AHL finals, he became head coach for the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks (WHL)
The Vancouver Canucks were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. Inaugurated in 1945 with the PCHL, they became a WHL team with the merger of the PCHL with the Western Canada Senior Hockey League in 1952...
of the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League (minor pro)
The Western Hockey League was a minor pro ice hockey league that operated from 1952 to 1974. Managed for most of its history by Hockey Hall of Fame member Al Leader, it was created out of the merger of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League...
, with whom he had also previously played for early in his career. Crozier immediately won two Lester Patrick Cup
Lester Patrick Cup
The Lester Patrick Cup was the championship trophy of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League from 1949 to 1974. Originally known as the President's Cup, the trophy was renamed in 1960 to honor pacific coast hockey pioneer and legend Lester Patrick following his death on June...
s as WHL champion in his only two seasons with Vancouver.
After the second WHL championship in 1970, the Canucks were absorbed by the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The 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...
and Crozier briefly returned to the AHL to coach the Cincinnati Swords
Cincinnati Swords
The Cincinnati Swords are a defunct American Hockey League team, founded in 1971, when the newly created NHL expansion team, Buffalo Sabres, exercised their option to create their own AHL farm team to replace the team they forced out of the AHL, the Buffalo Bisons...
. However, after a heart attack to Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
coach "Punch" Imlach
Punch Imlach
George "Punch" Imlach , was an NHL coach and general manager. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Early career:...
, Crozier was given Imlach's position and made his National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The 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...
coaching debut in 1972. Although he finished the Sabres' 1971–72 season with just 8 wins in 36 games, Crozier coached the Sabres to a playoff berth the following season, posting a winning record of 37–27–14. However, after finishing his third season with the Sabres out of the playoffs, he was replaced by Floyd Smith
Floyd Smith
Ronald Floyd Smith was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres and who coached for 4 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres...
after the 1973–74 season.
Upon leaving the Sabres, he joined the NHL-rival-league World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
with the Vancouver Blazers
Vancouver Blazers
The Vancouver Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association from 1973-75. The Blazers played at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, sharing the facility with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League. The Blazers were owned by...
in 1974–75, then the Calgary Cowboys
Calgary Cowboys
The Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami...
for two seasons as the franchise relocated. In 1975–76, Crozier made it to the semi-finals with the Cowboys but lost to the Winnipeg Jets. In his third and final season with the Blazers-Cowboys franchise, in which Calgary failed to make the playoffs, Crozier dumped the team's spare hockey sticks from the bench onto the ice during a game in protest of a disputed call. Another incident with the Cowboys involves a mishap while trying to return to Calgary after a game against the San Diego Mariners
San Diego Mariners
The San Diego Mariners were an ice hockey team based in San Diego that played in the World Hockey Association. They played from 1974 to 1977. Their home ice was San Diego Sports Arena...
. The pilot had failed to refuel and there was not enough gas to return home. Although Crozier asked the team to collectively pitch in, they still did not have enough money. The team was bailed out by their play-by-play announcer who used his wife's Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
card to front the $1,500 bill. During his stint with the franchise, Crozier also rose to the position of general manager.
In 1979–80, after beginning the season in the AHL coaching the New Brunswick Hawks
New Brunswick Hawks
The New Brunswick Hawks were a professional ice hockey team based in Moncton, New Brunswick. Home games were played at the Moncton Coliseum. They were a member of the American Hockey League between 1978 and 1982. The Hawks operated as a minor league affiliate of the Chicago Black Hawks and the...
, Crozier received his second break in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, replacing, once again, "Punch" Imlach mid-season. He coached the Leafs for the final 10 games of the regular season, but they were swept in the first round of the 1980 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
in three games. The following season, the Leafs started with just 13 wins in the first 40 games and Crozier was replaced mid-season with Mike Nykoluk
Mike Nykoluk
Mike Nykoluk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played one season in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs and who coached for seven seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs...
.
After his second NHL stint, Crozier joined the Kitchener Rangers
Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted...
of the major junior Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The 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....
for two seasons, replacing Orval Tessier
Orval Tessier
Orval Roy Tessier is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre and coach who played three seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins. Tessier played only 59 regular season games in the NHL...
. The Rangers had just come off a Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
final game loss to the Cornwall Royals
Cornwall Royals
The 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...
the previous season and in his first season with the team, they returned to the Memorial Cup, winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup
J. Ross Robertson Cup
The J. Ross Robertson Cup is an ice hockey trophy awarded annually to the winner of the Ontario Hockey League playoff championship. It was presented by and named for John Ross Robertson, the president of the Ontario Hockey Association who served from 1899 to 1905.Originally it was awarded to the...
as the OHL champion. The Rangers made it to the 1982 Memorial Cup
1982 Memorial Cup
The 1982 Memorial Cup was held between May 8 and May 15, 1982, at the Robert Guertin Arena in Hull, Quebec. The champions of the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League – the Kitchener Rangers, Sherbrooke Castors and Portland Winter Hawks respectively...
Final and defeated the Sherbrooke Castors
Sherbrooke Castors
The Sherbrooke Castors or Sherbrooke Beavers was the name of two different junior ice hockey teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Both franchises played at the Palais des Sports in Sherbrooke, Quebec.-Original Castors:...
7–4 to capture Crozier and the Rangers' first Canadian Hockey League
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
title. With the team, Crozier future NHL stars Scott Stevens
Scott Stevens
Ronald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
and Brian Bellows
Brian Bellows
Brian Bellows is a retired professional ice hockey player. He played nearly 1200 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Washington Capitals...
.
Coming off their Memorial Cup championship, Crozier and the Rangers finished with a strong 45–23–2 record in 1982–83, but fell to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The Greyhounds play home games at the Essar Centre. The present team was founded in 1962 as a team in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The Greyhounds name has been used by several ice hockey...
in the third round. After two seasons with the Rangers, Crozier returned to the Rochester Americans for one season, in which they reached the 1984 Calder Cup Final against the Maine Mariners
Maine Mariners
The Maine Mariners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Portland, Maine, USA at the Cumberland County Civic Center.-History:...
, but lost in five games. Crozier then retired after the 1983–84 season.
Shortly after his retirement, Crozier was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...
in 1985 for his individual efforts.
Coaching record
| Team | |Regular Season | BUF Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:... |
1971–72 | 36 | 8 | 19 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (51) | 6th in East | Did Not Qualify | |||||
| BUF Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:... |
1972–73 | 78 | 37 | 27 | 14 | ||
| 88 | 4th in East | Lost in First round | |||||
| BUF Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:... |
1973–74 | 78 | 32 | 34 | 12 | ||
| 76 | 5th in East | Did Not Qualify | |||||
| VAN Vancouver Blazers The Vancouver Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association from 1973-75. The Blazers played at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, sharing the facility with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League. The Blazers were owned by... |
1974–75 | 78 | 37 | 39 | 2 | ||
| 76 | 4th in Canadian | Did Not Qualify | |||||
| CGY Calgary Cowboys The Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami... |
1975–76 | 80 | 41 | 35 | 4 | ||
| 86 | 3rd in Canadian | Lost in Second round | |||||
| CGY Calgary Cowboys The Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami... |
1976–77 | 81 | 31 | 43 | 7 | ||
| 69 | 5th in West | Did Not Qualify | |||||
| TOR Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
1980–81 | 40 | 13 | 22 | 5 | ||
| (71) | 5th in Adams | (fired) |
Awards and achievements
Playing career- MJHLManitoba Junior Hockey LeagueThe Manitoba Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The MJHL is one of eleven Junior 'A' Hockey Leagues in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League ....
Second All-Star Team – 1948 - MJHL First All-Star Team – 1949
- QHLQuebec Senior Hockey LeagueThe Quebec Senior Hockey League was an ice hockey league that operated between 1941 and 1959 in Québec, Canada. From 1941, it operated on an amateur basis, before becoming the semi-professional Quebec Hockey League in 1953...
Second All-Star Team – 1954 - QHL First All-Star Team – 1957
Coaching career
- Calder CupCalder 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...
(AHLAmerican Hockey LeagueThe 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...
championship; Rochester AmericansRochester AmericansThe Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
) – 19651964–65 AHL seasonThe 1964–65 AHL season was the 29th season of the American Hockey League. The league inaugurates the James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding media coverage of the AHL.Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule...
, 19671966–67 AHL seasonThe 1966–67 AHL season was the 31st season of the American Hockey League. Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The Pittsburgh Hornets finished first overall in the regular season, and won their first Calder Cup championship since being resurrected in 1961–62...
, 19681967–68 AHL seasonThe 1967–68 AHL season was the 32nd season of the American Hockey League. Eight teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The league played a limited interlocking schedule with the Western Hockey League which was a repeat of the experiment two seasons earlier. The Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial... - J. Ross Robertson CupJ. Ross Robertson CupThe J. Ross Robertson Cup is an ice hockey trophy awarded annually to the winner of the Ontario Hockey League playoff championship. It was presented by and named for John Ross Robertson, the president of the Ontario Hockey Association who served from 1899 to 1905.Originally it was awarded to the...
(OHLOntario Hockey LeagueThe 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....
championship; Kitchener RangersKitchener RangersThe Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted...
) – 1982 - Memorial CupMemorial CupThe Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
(CHLCanadian Hockey LeagueThe Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
championship; Kitchener Rangers) – 19821982 Memorial CupThe 1982 Memorial Cup was held between May 8 and May 15, 1982, at the Robert Guertin Arena in Hull, Quebec. The champions of the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League – the Kitchener Rangers, Sherbrooke Castors and Portland Winter Hawks respectively...
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...
- Inducted for individual efforts – 1985
- Inducted as part of 1948–49 Brandon Wheat KingsBrandon Wheat KingsThe Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the...
– 2007