Q+A: Brian Crawford, new president of the Ontario Hockey League

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The retiring Ontario Hockey League commissioner passed the baton with a few simple words of encouragement.

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“Good luck, kid,” David Branch said to Brian Crawford before his induction press conference at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Thursday. Replacing a legendary manager of 45 years is no easy task, but Crawford, 42, a Hamilton native, will usher in a new chapter for arguably the best hockey development league in the world.

The OHL's search committee, which included London Knights General Manager Mark Hunter, chose a sports executive with a rich and diverse background: Crawford played running back for the Queen's University Gaels from 2001-05 before playing for the Argonauts, before working for Ontario University Sport's multi-sport network, building the business model for Canada Basketball and spending the past six years with Golf Canada, where he was tournament director for the RBC Canadian Open.

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“Growing up in Hamilton I always dreamed of being a part of the OHL,” Crawford said, “and I never imagined I'd become commissioner. This really is a full circle moment for a kid who ended up being a better football player than he was a hockey player.”

His job will be to keep the league at the top of its game while exploring new growth opportunities in a rapidly changing hockey landscape. The OHL has produced 2,510 players who have been drafted into the NHL since 1969, more than any other league in the world, with more than 200 alumni still in the league and 19 alumni who appeared in the Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and Panthers.

“It's an incredible honor to be associated with one of our nation's great sports organizations,” Crawford said, “and this league is special not only in its product but, more importantly, in its mission.”

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A Q&A with the new boss.

Q: What lessons can you take from outside the hockey world to further your OHL ambitions?

“What I've learned from working in many sports is that challenges are not unique. They are people, culture and business. What I bring to the table is a fairly broad perspective, a lens of looking at challenges creatively and understanding that there are people who have tackled the same challenges before us and there are things we can learn and glean from just looking at those best practices. I came to golf, never having played golf before. They gave me one of the biggest golf tournaments in the country and maybe even the world. I understood where my limitations are, that there are people who know more about the inside of the ropes – in this case hockey operations – and they need to be empowered, trusted and supported to do their job and excel.”

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Q: Is it a daunting task to replace someone who has held the position for 45 years?

“Dave is a legend. I don't have a vote, but he's a Hockey Hall of Famer. No one has had such an enormous impact on so many Canadians. I'm not just talking about players who went on to the NHL. I'm talking about doctors, lawyers, accountants, firefighters, police officers. I have to be a leader with my own vision. I have to earn the respect and trust of the hockey community by focusing on collaboration, engagement and results-driven excellence. I've had the incredible privilege of following in the footsteps of a leader for 43 years in Bill Paul (Golf Canada). If this experience is half as good, I'll be very lucky. I think Dave and I will work well together.”

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Q: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the OHL right now?

“The biggest challenge is to never be satisfied and always be active. We face competition for players, viewers and markets, and we need to meet that head on. With good strategy and creativity, we can build programs that speak for themselves. We develop our talent and we sell what we do to the people who participate and who choose to support our league and spend their money. If we don't continually evolve, develop our programs and build our traditions, we will fall behind other leagues and entertainment venues.”

Q: Are you going to be involved in disciplinary matters in the same way that you were with David Branch?

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“I will answer that question once I have had a chance to take a closer look at our policies, procedures and history, review them with the board and think about how best to continue to enforce discipline going forward. I believe strongly in our bylaws and policies, and they need to be very well written, detailed and transparent so people can understand the process and how decisions are made. I think these are the kinds of things that need to be continually evaluated to make sure they're being handled in an appropriate way that maintains the integrity of the league.”

Q: The Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League has a strong policy against fighting. What is your position on fighting in junior hockey?

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“The number one priority is player safety. There's been an increased focus and value on skill. Our league has certainly made incredible strides with player safety, not just in fighting, but in all aspects of the game. Like all rules, these are things we must constantly evaluate, monitor and research. We need to use data to make the right decisions. Data-driven decisions are something I believe strongly in, and will ensure our product is the best opportunity for our young players and their families to advance their goals in hockey and in life. The sport is constantly evolving. It doesn't stay the same. The NHL is changing. We've changed. We need to continue to be at the forefront of producing the best product we can.”

Q: What do you see as the role of Junior B, and specifically the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, in terms of developing future OHL players?

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“It's very important. We have a lot of current and former players who have come through the Junior B system and gone on to become stars in our league and in the NHL. I think they're going to be important partners going forward. We have a great opportunity to develop and strengthen partnerships with them, and with other leagues in Ontario and the U.S. We rely on grassroots minor hockey to develop our players, coaches and officials, and we need to be proactive in supporting them in their leadership roles.”

Q: With Mississauga's recent relocation to Brampton, how do you see the GTA's role in the OHL?

“The Steelheads and Elliot Carr are players I've known for a long time, and we have great ownership of our team. I think the Greater Toronto/Hamilton area needs to be a supporter and promoter of the OHL. We have fans in this area who lived in the traditional (junior hockey) community. This is the epicenter for the development of young hockey players, so they need to be at the heart of our league and be part of the OHL family.”

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Q: What do you think are your priorities in coming here and making a difference?

“The priority is to listen, learn and understand. I will never have David's institutional knowledge, but I can work to gain a deeper understanding of how we have come this far and how it can inform our future. We can't rest on our laurels being the leading sport in Canadian life. We have to be progressive, proactive and always strive to improve. We won't last long if we rest on the fact that we are the number one development league in the world. Basketball and soccer will surpass hockey in terms of participation and families choosing hockey as a way to educate their kids and learn all the skills that sport teaches them to be great citizens. We need to be proactive to maintain our position while looking forward to improving and strengthening ourselves.”

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Q: Did you ever attend a Frontenacs game while you were attending Queens?

“There was some consolidation going on between the hockey and football teams at the time. My good friend from my days in Queens, Dan Bartlieb, who's now a very prominent major league agent, did the play-by-play for the Frontenacs for the four years we were there. It was an old barn then. We didn't have the luxuries of a new arena. Kingston had the Frontenacs and the Gaels. It was a great place to be growing up.”

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