Hear what incoming OHL Commissioner Bryan Crawford had to say about his vision for the OHL, the expertise he brings, the challenges the league faces, and his stance on fighting
The new incoming commissioner for the OHL, Bryan Crawford, met with the media for the first time yesterday alongside his soon-to-be predecessor David Branch, and OHL Chairman of the Board, and owner of the Soo Greyhounds, Tim Lukenda
David Branch served as the OHL Commissioner for 45 years. “Replacing a legend like David Branch is no small feat,” said Tim Lukenda. “David (Branch) is a legend. I don’t have a vote, but he’s a Hockey Hall of Famer,” Bryan Crawford added.
The league will certainly miss Branch’s leadership, but Crawford can lean on his experience of following in the footsteps of a 43-year leader, Bill Paul, at Golf Canada when he took over.
Crawford touched on his experience growing the sport of golf in Canada, "It's (golf) a very traditional sport of course and we had to think about how do we make sure that the game of golf is growing. I'm a believer that if you try something and it doesn't work, you go back to what you were doing before. But if you don't try, you don't know that it's going to be successful."
“We turned a par 3 on the golf course into a hockey hole. Many people thought it was crazy. And it's been one of the most important things that has happened to the RBC Canadian Open and golf in this country,” said Crawford, which many rave about as a fun, amazing experience at the Canadian golf tournament.
Crawford mentioned that growing up in Hamilton when he was a young rep hockey player, he dreamt of being part of the OHL, but never could have imagined that it would have been as Commissioner. "It's a full circle moment. For a kid that turned out to be a better football player than he was a hockey player."
While studying and playing as a football player at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Crawford mentioned he attended several Frontenacs games.
Below are key tidbits and quotes from the incoming OHL Commissioner from Wednesday’s press conference.
What is Bryan Crawford’s vision for the OHL moving forward?
"My long-term vision for this league includes a player focus while striving to elevate our position as a uniquely community-centric sports entertainment property. We'll build on the league's legacy and introduce new strategies for enhancing our operations, fan experience, and commercial activities."
"We will continue to enhance our amazing player development programs, while further advancing our hockey operations, and will foster a culture of innovation and excellence, which will be a priority at the forefront of everything we do," Crawford added.
Additionally, he recognizes how big of a factor OHL franchises are in their respective communities. "One of our biggest strengths and competitive advantages is the community-centric sport entertainment property. We are in communities across the province and have such a connection with those communities. That's a tremendous asset and advantage for partners that we want to work with in the future.
What are the biggest challenges the OHL faces and what can Crawford bring to help evolve the league?
“The biggest challenge is to make sure that we are never satisfied and we are constantly active. We face competition for players, eyeballs, and markets. I think that it is imperative for us to be forward-looking. We have to be progressive. We have to be active. And ensure that we are constantly striving to improve our game and our league."
Crawford further explained that if the league does not continuously seek to evolve and develop a solid program, they will fall behind other leagues in recruiting players.
From the sounds of it, Crawford is focused on using his expertise in the sports business to enhance the league's marketing strategies and increase engagement.
"I've always been a believer that with really good strategy and creativity, you can build programs that speak for themselves and I think that's what you need to do to be able to sell our league to all people. If we aren't embedded and constantly connected to our communities, they'll find other things to care about.”
"I think what I've been able to bring to each of the places that I've worked at is a lens that's pretty wide in scope and able to look at challenges and opportunities in a creative way. And understanding where others have maybe fallen short and the mistakes that they've made so we can avoid those same results."
What is Crawford’s stance on fighting in junior hockey?
The QMJHL has banned fighting from their league. Any player who participates in one will be ejected from the game and any player found to have instigated the fight will receive a one-game suspension.
“I think the most important priority is player safety without question. We've seen hockey change. There is a bigger focus and value placed on skill. Our league has certainly made some incredible strides towards player safety in all aspects of the game and not just fighting.
“Along with all other rules, these are things that we need to continually evaluate, monitor, explore, and use data to make good decisions. I'm a big believer in data-driven decisions and ensuring that our product is the best it can be and that it's the best opportunity for young players and their families to advance their goals in hockey and in life.”
Bryan Crawford will officially begin his tenure as OHL Commissioner on Aug. 6, and a new chapter will commence in arguably the greatest developmental league in the world.