CRAWFORD IS CHOSEN TO REBUILD HOCKEY KINGDOM FORMER CANUCKS COACH HIRED BY L.A.

Byline: RICH HAMMOND  Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO -- Any doubts that Kings GM Dean Lombardi had about Marc Crawford's player-relations skills were quelled one afternoon last week, when Crawford's cell phone rang while the two men met.

On the other end was Vancouver forward Todd Bertuzzi. Crawford and Bertuzzi reportedly feuded during the season, a situation that contributed to Crawford being fired as the Canucks' coach last month.

``I found it really impressive that Todd would take the time to call,'' Lombardi said.

Not that Lombardi needed much convincing. In his first major act as the Kings' president and general manager, Lombardi officially hired Crawford as coach Monday morning. Crawford fills the position previously held by Andy Murray, who was fired in March and replaced by interim coach John Torchetti.

In Crawford, 45, the Kings get a proven winner, one who led the Colorado Avalanche to the Stanley Cup championship in 1995-96 and has made the playoffs in eight of his 10 full seasons as a NHL coach.

``We're going to continue to build on the strengths that they've had in here,'' Crawford said. ``It is a talented group. I look forward to helping some of the players make strong improvements in their game.''

Crawford's hiring can be seen as another solid step for the Kings, who have missed the playoffs three seasons in a row. After the firing of Murray and former general manager Dave Taylor, the Kings were able to hire Lombardi and Crawford, perhaps the most-sought-after candidates in the GM and coaching markets this summer.

In 11 seasons with Quebec, Colorado and Vancouver, Crawford had a regular-season record of 411-285-127 and becomes the first Kings coach with a Stanley Cup championship on his resume. Crawford's Canucks finished with a 42-32-8 record this season, three points out of a playoff spot.

``This is not only a guy who knows how to win, but also knows how to get the best out of his players,'' Lombardi said. ``What impressed me the most was his willingness to admit he made mistakes and his willingness to admit he didn't have the answers yet, but that he was going to find them.''

The hiring of Crawford did not come without questions. Some players chaffed under Murray's disciplinarian style, but Murray and Crawford are friends whose leadership styles have been compared, leading some to wonder if Crawford would be enough of a departure from Murray.

``I'm a different coach from Andy Murray, and I say that with all respect,'' Crawford said. ``I'm very passionate about what I do, I'm very inclusive in how I perform my duties as a head coach and most of all, I want players and people around me who work hard and who are creative.

``I expect a lot from my players. I'm very demanding.''

Crawford got the endorsement of Kings defenseman Aaron Miller, who played parts of four seasons under Crawford in Quebec and Colorado. Forward Craig Conroy said he has great respect for Crawford.

``It seems like he makes everybody on the team accountable, and that's what we really need here,'' Conroy said. ``When things started to go south (this season), there were arguments here and there. Everyone was kind of pointing the finger. That's what we have to get away from. We just let it snowball.''

Crawford was unemployed for less than a month, and in essence, he chose the Kings more than they chose him. Crawford was the Kings' first choice, and last week he spent 36hours with Lombardi and came away convinced that Lombardi could help him build the Kings into a winning franchise.

``He was going to do things the right way,'' Crawford said regarding his impressions of Lombardi. ``He wasn't going to put Band-Aids on problems. We were going to try to forge ahead and do the right thing.''

Lombardi and Crawford both have work to do in the coming months. Lombardi expects to hire an assistant general manager and a new team trainer in the coming weeks, and Crawford will fill out his assistant coaching staff, one that might include Mike Johnson, his longtime assistant in Vancouver.

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Photo:

New Kings coach Marc Crawford, left, listens while GM Dean Lombardi speaks.

Ric Francis/Associated Press