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“Back to the Future”: Cinema lover Marc Crawford is back with the ZSC Lions after six and a half years.
Stephen RothDeputy Head of Ice Hockey
The fourth change of coach of the season is perfect. After McSorley (Lugano), Lundskog (Bern) and Pesan (Ajoie), Rikard Grönborg (54) has now been hit. The Swede was no longer making progress with the ZSC Lions. After the performances were often sobering, the results didn’t come before Christmas either. With the bankruptcies against Friborg and Ambri, the team sent a clear signal that success can no longer be expected in the constellation with Grönborg – despite third place.
The runner-up curse also caught the two-time world champion coach. With the exception of Zug’s Dan Tangnes, who went on to win the title twice, no coach has stayed more than 18 months after a final defeat in recent years. Even with the Lions, a large part of the team had lost faith in the coach with whom they gambled away the final against Zug despite a 3-0 lead.
Only Tangnes defies the Vice Master curse
That’s how long the final losers stayed in office
- 2022 Rikard Gronborg (ZSC) 7 months
- 2021 Patrick Emond (Servette) 6 months
- 2019 Dan Tangnes (Zug, champion 2021 and 22) still in office
- 2018 Greg Ireland (Lugano) 12 months
- 2017 Harold Kreis (Zug) 12 months
- 2016 Doug Shedden (Lugano) 9 months
- 2015 Marc Crawford (ZSC) 11 months
- 2014 Felix Hollenstein (Kloten) 8 months
- 2013 Hans Kossmann (Fribourg) 18 months
- 2012 Antti Törmänen (Bern, champion 2013) 19 months
- 2011 Anders Eldebrink (Kloten) 14 months
That’s how long the final losers stayed in office
- 2022 Rikard Gronborg (ZSC) 7 months
- 2021 Patrick Emond (Servette) 6 months
- 2019 Dan Tangnes (Zug, champion 2021 and 22) still in office
- 2018 Greg Ireland (Lugano) 12 months
- 2017 Harold Kreis (Zug) 12 months
- 2016 Doug Shedden (Lugano) 9 months
- 2015 Marc Crawford (ZSC) 11 months
- 2014 Felix Hollenstein (Kloten) 8 months
- 2013 Hans Kossmann (Fribourg) 18 months
- 2012 Antti Törmänen (Bern, champion 2013) 19 months
- 2011 Anders Eldebrink (Kloten) 14 months
Instead of Grönborg, Marc Crawford (61) is now coming. And not just until the end of the season, but with a contract until 2025.
Crawford’s first stint ended in a flop
This is not the first time that people in Zurich are working under the motto “Back to the Future”. With the returning coaches Kent Ruhnke and Larry Huras, they became champions in 2000 and 2001, with Arno Del Curto they were shipwrecked in 2019 and missed the playoffs as defending champions.
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THE ZSC TRAINERS SINCE 2000: Marc Crawford, from 2022.
Crawford’s first guest appearance ended with a bang. As a qualifying winner, the Lions failed in 2016 in the playoff quarterfinals at eventual champions SCB – without winning a game. The cinema lover then fantasized that he could imagine staying at ZSC.
In an interview the following morning, angry CEO Peter Zahner quickly made it clear that the contract with Crawford would not be renewed. “North Americans don’t decide on jobs for the next season in March. That’s why the separation certainly doesn’t come at the wrong time,” he said at the time. But emphasized: “The time with Crawford was very successful, with three wins in qualification, a championship title in 2014 and a cup win in 2016. He did a great job.”
The good times have now been remembered. It has been hidden that Crawford was flirting with the return to the NHL, wanted to use US super talent Auston Matthews as a stepping stone and had lost the support of the team. With Captain Geering, the Baltisberger brothers and Bachofner, there are only four players left in the squad from that team.
ZSC played attractively under Crawford – and with boys
Under Crawford and then sports director Edgar Salis, the Lions were consistently a top team that also offered attractive ice hockey. The Canadian, who led the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup win in 1996, hasn’t batted an eyelid at his talents. True to the motto: Next, please!
The future will show whether the disdainful ignoring of homegrown talent was only due to Grönborg and not also to sports director Sven Leuenberger, who filled the squad with established forces.
“In order to give the team new impetus, we decided to change coaches early. Crawford will take over immediately instead of next season,” says sports director Leuenberger. “Marc brings a wealth of experience that our team needs. He knows Switzerland and the ZSC Lions very well and is up to date thanks to his recent coaching activities. The successes speak for Marc, but there is no NHL exit clause. It’s the best possible solution for us.”
In recent months, Crawford has always been a topic when looking for a coach after his return to the NHL (Ottawa and Chicago). Most recently at SCB. Only now did he get a job. After inquiries in the NHL, others doubted that the impulsive coach dinosaur was still “up to date”.
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