Playing Career
A native of Winnipeg, Crozier played junior hockey in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with the Brandon Wheat Kings. In his first season in 1947–48, he was named to the MJHL Second All-Star Team, then the First All-Star Team the following year. His second and final year in Brandon culminated in an eight-game Memorial Cup final series against the Montreal Royals. The seven-game series was extended an extra game as game three had ended in a 3–3 tie. Although Crozier scored the first goal in the final and deciding eight game, the Royals scored four times in the third period to defeat the Wheat Kings 6–4. They were later inducted as a team into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame 58 years later in 2007.
Turning professional in 1949 with the San Francisco Shamrocks of the Pacific Coast Hockey League, he began a long career in the minor leagues. After playing a season with the Vancouver Canucks in 1950–51, he joined the Quebec Aces of the Quebec Senior Hockey League. Crozier would remain with the Aces for eight seasons, earning Second All-Star Team honours in 1954 after a 27-point campaign and First Team honours in 1957 after recording 37 points. During the 1957–58 season, Crozier also acted as team head coach.
In 1959–60, Crozier joined the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League, then earned a break with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League. He played five games with the Leafs, his only appearance in the NHL as a player, recording 3 assists.
After his brief NHL stint, Crozier finished his playing career with the Spokane Spokes of the Western Hockey League in 1959–60 and one more season with the Rochester Americans in 1960–61.
Read more about this topic: Joe Crozier
Famous quotes containing the words playing and/or career:
“Someday our grandchildren will look up at us and say, Where were you, Grandma, and what were you doing when you first realized that President Reagan was, er, not playing with a full deck?”
—Barbara Ehrenreich (b. 1941)
“They want to play at being mothers. So let them. Expressing tenderness in their own way will not prevent girls from enjoying a successful career in the future; indeed, the ability to nurture is as valuable a skill in the workplace as the ability to lead.”
—Anne Roiphe (20th century)