DENVER — On this day in sports (May 27) in 1998, the Colorado Avalanche parted ways with their first head coach in team history.
Marc Crawford was let go after the Avs were bounced early in the 1998 NHL playoffs.
Crawford had much success early in his career. At just age 33, he was named Coach of the Year in his debut with the Quebec Nordiques. The following year, he led the Avalanche to the 1996 Stanley Cup in their inaugural season.
General manager Pierre Lacroix let Crawford go despite the fact he led the team to divisional titles in each of his four years with the organization.
Crawford has been a head coach for 16 seasons with six different NHL teams, and now serves as an assistant for the Chicago Blackhawks.
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