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Crawford bows out of NHL job race, returns to Switzerland

Dallas Stars v Vancouver Canucks

VANCOUVER, CANADA - JANUARY 24: Head coach Marc Crawford of the Dallas Stars looks on from the bench during their game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on January 24, 2011 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver won 7-1. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

It looks like former NHL coach Marc Crawford won’t be coming back to North America.

The former Avalanche, Kings, Canucks, and Stars coach has verbally agreed to return to the ZSC Lions in the Swiss National League according to the team’s Twitter feed.

Crawford had been in the running for the head coaching jobs with both the Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins. But with the Panthers looking at Gerard Gallant and the Penguins moving on from Willie Desjardins and Bill Peters to other candidates, he’s not waiting around to see what they decide.

Crawford coached ZSC to the championship as well as the best record in the Swiss League. ZSC finished 20 points ahead of second place HC Gotteron and beat Kloten for the title. That’s probably more than you’ve ever read about the Swiss League.

Crawford won the Stanley Cup as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 and won the Jack Adams Award in 1995.

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