- Joe Crozier
Infobox Ice Hockey Player
played_for ="PCHL"
San Francisco Shamrocks
Vancouver Canucks
"USHL"
Denver Falcons "
QHL"
Quebec Aces
"AHL"
Springfield Indians
Providence Reds
Rochester Americans
"NHL"
Toronto Maple Leafs
"WHL"
Spokane Spokes
position = Defenceman
shot = Right
height_ft = 6
height_in = 0
weight_lb = 180
birth_date = birth date and age|1929|02|19
nationality = CAN
birth_place = Winnipeg,Manitoba flagicon|CAN
draft =
draft_year =
draft_team =
career_start = 1949
career_end = 1961Joe Crozier (b.
February 19 ,1929 , in Winnipeg,Manitoba ) is a former professionalice 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 theQuebec Senior Hockey League , which included a brief five game stint in theNational Hockey League with theToronto 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 theRochester Americans of theAmerican Hockey League , a two-timeLester Patrick Cup championship with the Vancouver Canucks of the Western Hockey League, and aMemorial Cup champion with theKitchener Rangers of theOntario Hockey League . During his coaching career, he also made brief appearances in theNational Hockey League with theBuffalo Sabres for two and half seasons and theToronto 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 theMemorial Cup -runners-up 1948-49Brandon Wheat Kings .citeweb|title=Crozier inducted to Manitoba Hall of Fame|url=http://sabres.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=341144&page=NewsPage&service=page|publisher=Buffalo Sabres |accessdate=2008-08-11|date=2007-10-25]Playing career
A native of Winnipeg, Crozier played junior hockey in the
Manitoba Junior Hockey League with theBrandon 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.citeweb|title=Legends of Hockey - Joe Crozier|url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=12377|publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |accessdate=2008-08-11] His second and final year in Brandon culminated in an eight-gameMemorial Cup final series against theMontreal 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 theManitoba Hockey Hall of Fame 58 years later in 2007.Turning professional in 1949 with the
San Francisco Shamrocks of thePacific 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 theQuebec Aces of theQuebec 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 theAmerican Hockey League , then earned a break with theToronto Maple Leafs of theNational 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.Coaching career
Crozier made his head coaching debut in 1957-58 with the
Quebec Aces of theQuebec 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 theCharlotte Checkers of the minor professionalEastern Hockey League in 1962. After one season with the Checkers, he joined theRochester Americans of theAmerican 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 threeCalder 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 theCincinnati Swords . However, after aheart attack toBuffalo Sabres coach "Punch" Imlach, Crozier was given Imlach's position and made hisNational 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 byFloyd Smith after the 1973-74 season.Upon leaving the Sabres, he joined the NHL-rival-league
World Hockey Association with theVancouver Blazers in 1974-75, then theCalgary Cowboys for two seasons as the franchise relocated. In 1975-76, Crozier made it to the semi-finals with the Cowboys but lost to theWinnipeg Jets . In his third and final season with the Blazers-Cowboys franchise, in which Calgary failed to make the playoffs, Crozier infamously 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 theSan 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'sTexaco 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 theToronto 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 theMinnesota 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 withMike Nykoluk .After his second NHL stint, Crozier joined the
Kitchener Rangers of the major juniorOntario Hockey League for two seasons, replacingOrval Tessier . The Rangers had just come off aMemorial Cup final game loss to theCornwall Royals the previous season and in his first season with the team, they returned to the Memorial Cup, winning theJ. Ross Robertson Cup as the OHL champion. The Rangers made it to the1982 Memorial Cup Final and defeated theSherbrooke Castors 7-4 to capture Crozier and the Rangers' firstCanadian Hockey League title. With the team, Crozier future NHL starsScott Stevens andBrian 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 theMaine 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.Awards & Achievements
Playing career
* MJHL Second All-Star Team - 1948
* MJHL First All-Star Team - 1949
* QHL Second All-Star Team - 1954
* QHL First All-Star Team - 1957Coaching career
*Calder Cup (AHL championship;Rochester Americans ) - 1965, 1967, 1968
*J. Ross Robertson Cup (OHL championship;Kitchener Rangers ) - 1982
*Memorial Cup (CHL championship; Kitchener Rangers) - 1982Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
* Inducted for individual efforts - 1985
* Inducted as part of 1948-49Brandon Wheat Kings - 2007External links
*hockeydb|10793
*legendsofhockey|12377
* [http://www.mbhockeyhalloffame.ca/honoured/players.html?category=9&id=72 Joe Crozier's biography] at [http://www.mbhockeyhalloffame.ca/index.html Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame]References
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