VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The sound of some 25 sticks tapping against the ice started as a murmur, then gradually rose in volume, eventually echoing deafeningly through Rogers Arena.
The Blackhawks tapped to salute assistant coach Marc Crawford, who returned Thursday from a month-long suspension that began with an investigation into past incidents of player abuse. But they also surely tapped to mark the end of a tumultuous period of off-ice distraction.
“It was great to be out with the guys today,” Crawford said. “They gave me a nice reception, and they did in the room as well. That certainly was good. I want the team to get to normal as quick as they possibly can... It’s really important for the Blackhawks to continue to focus on what’s really important right now, which is trying to make the playoffs.”
But Crawford — speaking publicly for the first time since the offseason, save for a written statement published when the Hawks announced this Jan. 2 return date back in mid-December — also dove into his emotions and regrets.
The former Canucks, Kings, Stars and Senators coach, accused notably by four former players of kicking, punching and other physical mistreatment in the late-1990s to mid-2000s, said he has “reached out to many, many players” and heard back from many, as well.
Like in his statement, Crawford again directly apologized, admitted there “were times” he “crossed that line” between motivation and abuse, and mentioned he “appreciate[s] the strength of those players that came forward.”
The fact Crawford has actively undergone counseling for the past nine years seemed to factor significantly into the Hawks’ decision to retain him, and the 58-year-old coaching veteran explained Thursday why he began it.
“After [I lost] the job in L.A. [in 2008], I really thought, ‘Hey, I’m not liking where my coaching is right now,’” he said. “I felt, from that point forward, that the game was changing and I needed to change along with it.”
“I just felt I was apologizing too much and I didn’t like...that feeling,” he added. “And finding out why I am like I am takes a lot of introspection. I feel good about the things that I’ve done to improve.”
Head coach Jeremy Colliton (as well as numerous Hawks player leaders) has repeatedly spoken about Crawford’s positive influence on the team since his summer hiring, and Colliton rehashed that sentiment Thursday, saying Crawford has “carried himself in a way that’s been an example of how to act.”
Crawford returned the praise.
“One of the things that amazes me is [Colliton] never, ever loses his cool,” he said. “I admire that trait in him so much.”
The Ontario native said he spent his 31 days away from the team reading, thinking and watching a lot of NHL games on television. He tried to view them from a more humanistic perspective, too, looking to identify which players were playing with confidence, which weren’t and what the underlying reasons might be in each case.
He’ll seek to apply that empathetic perspective now back with the Hawks, where his early-season duties — special teams and opponent pre-scouting among them — will remain the same.
“People talk a lot about reading and reacting as a coach; my natural tendency was to react and then read,” Crawford said. “I’ve learned through my time that those are good traits, but you don’t want them to...take away from anything else.”
“Nobody wants to take emotion or passion out of the game — it’s what makes it beautiful — but making sure we keep control of it is also important.”
