Blackhawks will review Marc Crawford following recent allegations

The Chicago Blackhawks will be conducting a thorough review of assistant coach Marc Crawford in the wake of allegations regarding his conduct while with the Los Angeles Kings, the team announced Monday.

Crawford will be away from the Blackhawks during the process, the team added.

Former Kings forward Sean Avery accused Crawford of kicking him during a game while he served as head coach more than a decade ago.

"This was right after I (messed) up a drill and dumped the puck into the wrong corner, and it landed on Crow’s head and cut him for six (stitches)," the retired enforcer told the New York Post's Larry Brooks on Saturday. "He kicked me during a game."

Avery then went on to clarify the circumstances of the event, saying Crawford's actions came after a bad penalty he took that resulted in a power-play goal against.

"No, he kicked me after a too-many-men-on-the-ice call I took," Avery said. "He didn’t have me serve it, we got scored on, and he let me have it. You know how I stand at the end of the bench? He came down and gave me an ass kick that left a mark."

According to Brooks, the altercation took place on Dec. 23, 2006, during a game between the Kings and Nashville Predators.

Avery's accusations don't mark the first time a player has come forward regarding Crawford's conduct.

Ex-NHLer Daniel Carcillo posted a transcript of former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Brent Sopel discussing Crawford's troubling behavior over one year ago on the Spittin Chiclets podcast.

"He kicked me, he choked me, he grabbed the back of my jersey and pulled me back. He attacked guys personally," Sopel said of Crawford, who served as Canucks head coach from 1998-06.

"He said, 'You're terrible, you do nothing. You don't shoot hard, you don't skate hard, you don't pass hard, you do absolutely nothing. You have no hope of an NHL career, so you're heading to the minors. See you later.'

"I thought the NHL was no hope after that meeting," Sopel said.