Chicago Blackhawks: Why Corey Crawford Deserves More Respect

A retrospective on Chicago Blackhawks’ goalie, Corey Crawford. Crow has flown under the radar for many years and deserves more respect.

Corey Crawford has been an integral piece of the Chicago Blackhawks over the past 12 seasons, going on 13 seasons. While you may not be a fan, you can’t deny that he has shown up for the big games and delivered on multiple occasions, more specifically in 2013 and 2015 with the Stanley Cup core.

I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t always a fan of Corey Crawford. At first, I gave the defense a majority of the credit, because that top-6 defensive unit was elite for many years.

As time went on, the defense gradually dissipated and players moved on. It was then when you really got to see what Crawford was made of and saw his true value to the team.

When Crawford is on the ice, he makes the players around him better. In December of 2018 when Crawford went down with a concussion, you saw how valuable he truly was.

The team had no real backup plan at the time and just looked flat out awful during the 2017-18 season. After another Crawford concussion, the team had a similar fate during the 2018-19, but to a lesser degree.

More from Blackhawk Up

• Blackhawks: Three Noticeable Improvements in Comeback Win vs Blues
• Blackhawks: Key Takeaways from 3-2 win over the Blues
• Blackhawks: Grading Connor Murphy and a position comparison
• Blackhawks: Shuffling the lines to try and spark offense at 5 on 5
• These Lineup Changes could Solve the Blackhawks’ Scoring Problem

Stan Bowman and the front office kind of took Crawford for granted and didn’t field a truly competitive defense over the past couple of seasons. After a strong 2019 offseason, that is not the case heading into the 2019-20 NHL season.

There’s no substitute for what Corey Crawford has to offer and we will definitely miss that X-Factor when he decides to hang them up.

With that being said, let’s dive a little deeper now into Crawford’s impressive NHL career. I will unearth a few reasons why you should put some “respek” on Corey Crawford’s name.

Corey Crawford’s Resume

Believe it or not, Corey Crawford has been in the league for 12 seasons now, with 9 of them coming as a full-time goalie.

In that time, he has racked up 2 Stanley Cups, 2 William M. Jennings trophies, 3 all-star appearances, and has his name near the top of a few categories in the Chicago Blackhawks’ record book.

Corey Crawford Record Book Rankings:

• 448 games played (3rd)
• 244 wins (3rd)
• .918 Sv% (2nd)
• 2.42 GAA (3rd)
• 25 shutouts (7th)

Over the past 5 years, there’s no doubt that Corey Crawford has not only left his mark on the Blackhawks’ organization, but also, the NHL as a whole. Crawford is currently tied for the best save percentage during this time.

https://twitter.com/Blackhawk_Up/status/1168948499230134274

What’s Next for Corey Crawford?

To be honest, there’s not much left for Crawford to prove on the ice. He is a 2-time Stanley Cup winner for a reason and the only Chicago Blackhawks goalie to earn that honor.

He is currently 34 and will turn 35 on December 31st. He has beaten countless teams, but he might not be able to beat one last opponent — Father Time.

After two major concussions during the past two seasons, Corey Crawford is likely thinking about life after hockey.

Now with his first child, Cooper, he will want to be actively involved in his son’s life. Sometimes, fans don’t see athletes as people, but they’re just like each and every one of us.

This brings me to my final point. When is Crawford going to call it quits? He is currently playing on an expiring contract, so his time could be up sooner than you think.

2019-20 could be Corey Crawford’s last season in Chicago, and possibly, hockey altogether. I will make sure to enjoy him while he’s here.

Although the team and fans will miss him, I can’t hold it against him. Quality of life is so important. Just look at Andrew Luck.

I don’t want to see Corey go, but I will respect and understand whatever decision is made. That time is about a year away, so I will leave it at that.

In the meantime, I’m itching to see that first puck drop against the Philadelphia Flyers in Prague. How about you?