Marc Crawford resigns as Avalanche coachArchived from 1997-98 season. | |
While speculation about whether he is going to be fired still lingered, Marc Crawford decided to take the initiative and resigned.
"This is by far the most difficult decision I had to make," Crawford said at a news conference this afternoon in Denver. "I've had a time of reflection and believe it is the right thing to do. My gut instinct is the time is right for a change in this organization." Avalanche president and general manager Pierre Lacroix claimed to be "shocked" that Crawford resigned with a year left in his contract. Lacroix said he offered Crawford a new deal that he turned down. "He was convinced that his time had passed here and he was looking for a new challenge," Lacroix said in a separate news conference. "He told me the four years were great, but he felt he had to move on." Crawford guided Avalanche to the Stanley Cup title in 1996, but his tenure ended on a sour note when Colorado was eliminated in the first round of this year's playoffs by the Edmonton Oilers. Lacroix said he did not know how long it would take to find a new coach. "You can't replace Marc Crawford," he said. "Marc has his own style and great ability. You can't replace him." |
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