Bob Crocker
Robert Walter Crocker was an American ice hockey scout, coach, and executive. He was awarded the Lester Patrick Award, for contributions to hockey in the United States, in 2015.
Biography
Born in East Boston, Crocker graduated from the High School of Commerce in Boston. He spent four years in the United States Navy before enrolling at Boston University in 1951. He played for the Boston University Terriers men's ice hockey team during the 1954–55 season. In 1955, he served as B.U.'s freshman baseball coach. The following year, he became the school's director of intramural sports. In 1960, he took on the additional role of freshman hockey coach. Following the 1962 season, he became the Terriers' baseball varsity coach. He remained at BU until 1972, when he was passed over as varsity hockey coach in favor of Leon Abbott.From 1972 to 1976, he coached the University of Pennsylvania men's hockey team. He served as a part-time assistant to former Boston University coach Jack Kelley at Colby College during the 1976–77 season. In 1977, Crocker became a scout for the New England Whalers. He was promoted to assistant general manager in 1980 and held that position until 1992, when he went to scout for the New York Rangers. Crocker scouted for the Rangers until 2005, when he joined the Los Angeles Kings organization. He won three Stanley Cups during his time with the Rangers and Kings, and a Calder Cup with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. In 2006, he was inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame.