“There is no abuse of power in hockey”
In the National Hockey League, one of the most high-profile stories of recent weeks has come to its logical conclusion. Chicago Blackhawks assistant coach Mark Crawford has been officially dismissed due to an attack on former striker Sean Avery 12 years ago. However, the specialist will be able to return to work on January 2, 2020.
In a statement by the club, published on the NHL official website, it is reported that an independent commission confirmed the fact of Crawford’s misconduct while working in other teams. The investigation involved his former players and functionaries. It is emphasized that in “Chicago” itself, to which he joined in June 2019, no such cases were revealed.
“We do not condone his behavior. Our investigation confirmed that Mark visited a psychologist to improve communication skills and become better as a person and a trainer. Regular sessions continue from 2010 to the present day. We believe that over the past 10 years he has drawn conclusions from his actions and sincerely is trying to improve and develop on a personal and professional level, ”noted in Chicago.
The reason for the investigation was the statement made by Avery at the end of November. He said that in the 2006/07 season, being a player in the Los Angeles Kings, he was physically exposed by Crawford. During one of the matches, he earned a fine for violating the numbers. This angered the specialist so much that he went to the subordinate, who was sitting on the opposite end of the bench, and kicked him on the back. According to the hockey player, the blow was so strong that a trace remained on his body.
Avery later emphasized that he had no complaints about his former mentor, however, an investigation was initiated at Chicago, during which Crawford was suspended from working with the team. Then other messages began to appear, casting a shadow on the coach’s reputation. So, the former Kings striker Patrick O'Sullivan expressed his willingness to take an active part in the case, as he himself was repeatedly humiliated by a Canadian specialist.
“There is no place for abuse of power in hockey. I speak of this as a person who went through terrible things. In many ways, this happened because of my first coach in the NHL, who knew that as a child I became a victim of violence. I hope that everyone involved will soon be honored, ”O'Sullivan wrote on Twitter.
Earlier, a former defender Brent Sopel spoke about a similar situation. According to him, as head coach of Vancouver Canucks, Crawford allowed himself to beat, kick and even strangle hockey players.
After the results of the Chicago investigation were made public, the coach apologized for his actions, and also thanked the former subordinates for finding the strength to openly talk about what happened. He pleaded guilty, saying that in his desire to motivate them sometimes he went too far.
“I learned to express and control emotions in a new way. I am fully aware of the responsibility for my actions. As for the future, I will continue to work on myself, listen to those who have hurt, and draw conclusions from their experience. My goal is to empathize and be sympathetic to all players, former and current. As a trainer and person, I hope that I can create an atmosphere of respect, ”said Crawford.
However, Crawford's statement did not satisfy everyone. So, O'Sullivan did not believe in the sincerity of repentance and urged the Canadian to speak publicly. At the same time, he admitted that he would accept the coach’s apology if he personally addressed him.
“Liability is not a statement made by a lawyer in a club press release. If you are sincere, then you need to go to the press and acknowledge it publicly. It's time to move forward. If you are a coach, then treat people with respect, then they will want to do something more for you, ”the ex-striker wrote.
Accountability doesn't come in the form of a crafted statement by a lawyer hidden in a team release. Stand up and be accountable publicly to the media if it's sincere. Time to move on for me though. Treat people with respect if you're a coach and they will want to do more for you https://t.co/yQF32WH8zr
- Patrick O'Sullivan (@realPOSULLIVAN) December 17, 2019Hockey version of #MeToo
Crawford’s removal took place in the wake of the fast-paced anti-discrimination movement in the NHL, which many compare to the famous #MeToo action. Several former and current hockey players made public confessions that they had been subjected to various forms of violence by coaches in the past.
The author of one of the most high-profile statements was the black forward Akim Aliu. He said that being a Rockford Ice Hogs player had repeatedly been racially assaulted by trainer Bill Peters. The NHL leadership sharply condemned the specialist who at that time headed the Calgary Flames, and he was soon fired.
Commenting on what happened, the New Jersey Devils forward Wayne Simmonds emphasized that every black player has been in a similar situation at least once in his career, but few decide to talk about it openly.
One more “victim” of the movement gaining momentum was the mentor of the Toronto Maple Leafs Mike Babcock. Several former wards spoke immediately about his ambiguous methods of work. So, according to striker Mitchell Marner, the specialist forced him to make a kind of rating in which teammates ranged from the most hardworking to the most lazy. Then the list was read to the whole team. As in other cases, this story took place several years ago.