Former NHL Coach Crawford being investigated by Swiss League for using a 'slur'

Now some two years and a few months later, Crawford who coaches for the ZSC Lions in the National League in Switzerland is under fire again for remarks he made toward an on-ice official.

Crawford's verbal abuse of a referee was captured on television during his team's game against EHC Switzerland. In the dying seconds of the game, the coach began screaming at Finnish referee Mikko Kaukokari to check the clock as his team, trailed by a goal. It was during this time his rant quickly turned into a homophobic slur.

Crawford was hired on December 28th, 2022 to replace Rikard Gronborg as the Lions' head coach, and now less than two months later is facing an investigation into his actions.

It was during Crawford's time in the National Hockey League that players spoke out about the abuse they faced at the hands of their former bench boss.

Brent Sopel, Patrick O'Sullivan, Sean Avery, and Harold Druken spoke out about the physical and verbal abuse they experienced and witnessed at the hands of Crawford.

Crawford along with the National Hockey League, Todd Bertuzzi, and the Vancouver Canucks was named in a lawsuit brought forward by former Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Moore for injuries suffered at the hands of Bertuzzi during a game in the 2003-2004 season.