Joe Crozier obit

Sabres Hall of Famer Joe Crozier passes away at 93

Former head coach put French Connection together, led team to 1st playoff berth

 

He was not on the list.

The Buffalo Sabres mourn the passing of former head coach and Sabres Hall of Famer Joe Crozier, who died Tuesday at the age of 93.

Crozier took over behind the Sabres bench after Punch Imlach had to step down due to health concerns in January 1972. Crozier made an immediate impact, putting Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and Rene Robert together to form the French Connection, the greatest line in Sabres history.

He guided the Sabres to the franchise's first playoff appearance in 1972-73. In three seasons, he compiled a record of 77-80-35.

Crozier also served as an assistant coach during the 1984-85 season and worked as a team ambassador for many years after his coaching career ended.

Prior to joining the Sabres, Crozier played in the QHL, AHL and WHL. He dressed in five NHL games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1959-60, recording three assists.

He then got into coaching and guided the Rochester Americans to three championship seasons in 1965, 1966 and 1968.

He also was the head coach for Vancouver when they won the WHL championship in 1969 and for Kitchener when they won the OHL title in 1982.

He was inducted into the Sabres Hall of Fame in 2010 and the AHL Hall of Fame in 2012.

A native of Winnipeg, Crozier played junior hockey in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with the Brandon 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. His second and final year in Brandon culminated in an eight-game Memorial Cup final series against the Montreal 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 the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame 58 years later in 2007.

Turning professional in 1949 with the San Francisco Shamrocks of the Pacific 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 the Quebec Aces of the Quebec 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 the American Hockey League (AHL), then earned a break with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played five games with the Maple Leafs, his only appearance in the NHL as a player, recording three assists. After his NHL stint, Crozier finished his playing career with the Spokane Spokes of the Western Hockey League in 1959–60[5] and one more season with the Rochester Americans in 1960–61.

Crozier made his head coaching debut in 1957–58 with the Quebec Aces of the Quebec Senior Hockey League, while still playing defence with the team. Quebec posted a 29–31–4 record. In 1961, he became the head coach and general manager for the Charlotte Checkers of the minor professional Eastern Hockey League. After one season with the Checkers, he rejoined Rochester of the AHL as their coach. In 1965, his second season as head coach of the Americans, he won his first of three Calder Cups, as AHL champion, during five seasons with the team. The directors of the Vancouver Canucks of the Western Hockey League purchased the Americans after the 1967-68 season, and Crozier assigned Dick Gamble to coach for Rochester while he coached for Vancover. Crozier won two Lester Patrick Cups as WHL champion in his two seasons with Vancouver. In 1971, he became the coach and general manager of the Cincinnati Swords of the AHL.

After a heart attack to Buffalo Sabres coach "Punch" Imlach, Crozier was given Imlach's position and made his National 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. After finishing his third season with the Sabres out of the playoffs, however, he was replaced by Floyd Smith after the 1973–74 season.

Upon leaving the Sabres, he joined the NHL-rival-league World Hockey Association with the Vancouver Blazers in 1974–75, then the Calgary Cowboys for two seasons as the franchise relocated. In 1975–76, Crozier made it to the semi-finals with the Cowboys but lost to the Winnipeg Jets. In his third and final season with the Blazers-Cowboys franchise, in which Calgary failed to make the playoffs, Crozier 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 the San 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's Texaco card to front the $1,500 bill. During his stint with the franchise, Crozier also rose to the position of general manager.

In 1980–81, Crozier received his second break in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs, being named to coach the team at the start of the season. However, the Leafs started with 13 wins in the first 40 games and Crozier was replaced mid-season with Mike Nykoluk.

After his second NHL stint, Crozier joined the Kitchener Rangers of the major junior Ontario Hockey League for two seasons, replacing Orval Tessier. The Rangers had just come off a Memorial Cup final game loss to the Cornwall Royals the previous season and in his first season with the team, they returned to the Memorial Cup, winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup as the OHL champion. The Rangers made it to the 1982 Memorial Cup Final and defeated the Sherbrooke Castors 7–4 to capture Crozier and the Rangers' first Canadian Hockey League title.

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 the Maine Mariners, but lost in five games. Crozier then retired after the 1983–84 season. Crozier was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985 for his individual efforts. He was elected to the American Hockey League Hall of Fame, Class of 2012, for his career as player and coach.