Marc Crawford, the former NHL head coach who led the Colorado Avalanche to the Stanley Cup title in 1996, was hired Tuesday as an assistant on the Chicago Blackhawks’ coaching staff.
The 58-year-old Crawford, who most recently spent three seasons on the Ottawa Senators’ staff and was their interim coach at the end of the 2017-18 season, will work with 34-year-old Jeremy Colliton, who is now the youngest coach in the league. The Blackhawks also have two other assistants – Sheldon Brookbank and Tomas Mitell – who are 38 years old. Crawford’s son, Dylan, also works for the Blackhawks as an assistant video coach.
Colliton and the Blackhawks will undoubtedly rely on the experience of Marc Crawford, who was also a head coach with the Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings and Dallas Stars and has a 246-189-62-32 record.
“Knowing the league is important, and it’s not just knowing the personnel on the other side,” Crawford said in a Chicago Sun-Times story. “It’s also understanding the idiosyncrasies of every other building, having a little bit more knowledge about how other staffs are and how they implement their strategies ... recognising the officials, recognising league officials, and how the league works.
“I should be able to help them in that regard.”
Though disappointed that he didn’t get the permanent job as Ottawa’s head coach, Crawford likes where he has landed. “Chicago is a team that goes the extra mile to find a way to get things done,” he said. “No disrespect to any of the other places I’ve been, but it’s really nice when you have that organisation.”
Calling Colliton a “very innovative” young coach, Crawford added, “If I was the head coach, I would do things almost exactly the way he’s doing them, from the standpoint of systems.”


Bruins D Chara 
sustained broken jaw
Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara sustained a broken jaw when hit in the face by a puck in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday.
However, the Bruins continue to list the 42-year-old captain’s status as undecided. The best-of-seven championship series between the Bruins and the St. Louis Blues is tied at 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Thursday night in Boston. Chara’s face was bloodied when he was struck by the puck Monday in Boston’s 4-2 loss at St. Louis.
“Nothing new,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters Tuesday morning before the team returned to Boston. “Obviously, he’s got to get back to Boston and get looked at a little closer and we’ll go from there.”
Chara was injured by the deflected puck early in the second period, and he did not return to the ice. He did rejoin the bench in the third period, lending support to his teammates while wearing a full shield on his helmet and despite being “very uncomfortable,” according to Cassidy.
“He’s an absolute warrior,” Bruins forward Brad Marchand told NHL.com. “I think if it wasn’t for the doctor, he would have played in that game. He’s that kind of guy. You’re gonna have to kill him to keep him off. He’s an absolute leader.”
In addition to being the Bruins’ best penalty-killer, Chara has contributed one goal and four assists in 20 games this postseason. Chara missed 20 games during the regular season with a knee injury, so the team has experience playing without its 6-foot-9 captain.
“We know we can win with guys out of the lineup, it’s just the magnitude of the time of the year,” Cassidy said. “This matchup is not good with Zee out, let’s face it. They’re a big, heavy team, so you lose that element. Zee’s great on the penalty kill. ... He’s a shutdown defender. He forces guys to really go outside and not get inside.”


Blue Jackets sign 
Vehvilainen
The Columbus Blue Jackets signed goaltender Veini Vehvilainen to a two-year entry level contract.Vehvilainen was the team’s sixth-round selection in the 2018 NHL Draft. Playing with Karpat in Finland’s Liiga league in 2018-19, Vehvilainen posted a 25-8-5 record, a 1.58 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and six shutouts in 38 games, leading the league in those categories. The 22-year-old 64-30-21 record with a 1.83 GAA, .926 save percentage and 13 shutouts in 119 career Liiga games.