Extending the Pipeline: Kash Crawford

Written by: Scott Savard

Headline photo: Scott Savard

Okotoks, AB (January 26, 2026) – Atlanta, Georgia, the “Capital of Hip-Hop”, home of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, Donald Glover (actor, writer, musician, director), Ed Helms (actor in The Office and Hangover movie series), legendary director Spike Lee, and 2006-born defenceman for the Okotoks Oilers, Kash Crawford.

‘The ATL’ has a rich music scene that has seen a plethora of talent make it onto Billboard’s Top 100. From country music to hip-hop, the music industry in Atlanta has always thrived. Not only is the “City in the Forest” known for their music, but it was also once burnt down in 1864, along with being the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr., who America celebrates each year on the third Monday in January.

“I love it. I mean, I’m not there much anymore, so my memories are when I was much younger, like from 13 and under, which was always great. Summers are great, the winters are even better because it’s so warm. Even on Christmas, it was 75 degrees (Fahrenheit). It didn’t feel like much of a Christmas, but you could wear shorts on Christmas; it’s crazy. But, honestly, the weather’s awesome. Everything about it is just great memories for me,” Crawford said about his hometown of Atlanta.

Crawford mentioned that one family tradition he has with his family is going to Cirque du Soleil at Christmas time, or going out for a nice family dinner on Christmas Eve.

The once-upon-a-time team, the Atlanta Thrashers, played a part in the Crawford family, as his brothers were big fans of the former team that is now known as the Winnipeg Jets. Crawford explained he’s too young to remember the team but hears all about them from his siblings.

“My older brothers got sticks from Dustin Byfuglien, Evander Kane, all of them. It’s honestly so cool. I wish I was older so I could remember, because I’ve gone to games. I remember there not being many people at the games, but if they were still around, I’d sure go,” Crawford said about the Thrashers.

“I think they (his brothers) loved it because there’s not many places, especially in the South, where you can just go watch a hockey game unless you’re in Florida or Nashville. Those are all pretty far, so I guess while it was there (the Thrashers), like I said, I don’t really remember much, but while it was there, they loved it,” he added about why his brothers loved the Thrashers.

There has been talk that the NHL could expand to 34 teams in the future, and Atlanta has been discussed across the hockey world as a potential landing spot. Crawford would be happy to see a team back in Atlanta and explains that it could help open up more opportunities for kids who may want to get involved with the sport.

“I think that would be so cool if we could get a team in Atlanta. I think there’s so many people in Atlanta that haven’t been exposed to what hockey even is. We have one rink that pretty much all the guys practice at. We all know each other; everyone in Atlanta knows each other that plays hockey at a high level. So, we would all be there, that’s a start,” Crawford explained.

He added that kids in the area would enjoy an NHL team in Atlanta, saying that they would get to see the best talent in the world, whereas when he grew up, the most hockey he could go and enjoy live was watching his brothers.

While hockey isn’t the most popular sport in the ATL, they do have teams with a rich sporting history in the Braves (MLB), Falcons (NFL), and Hawks (NBA), Crawford said he believes there is a different getting a ton of attention in his hometown.

“Honestly, this is going to be a hot take, I think it’s soccer,” he said about the most popular sport in Atlanta. “There is an MLS team in Atlanta, the Atlanta United. I went to a game, and it was electric. It was so sweet, every seat was full. I’ve been to Braves games, I’ve been to Falcons games, but when I went to the Atlanta United game, it was the first time I’ve seen Mercedes-Benz Stadium completely full, every seat. It wasn’t a playoff game, it was just a regular-season game, so that was really cool.”

Crawford may have chosen hockey as the sport he wanted to pursue full-time, but it wasn’t the first one he would give a go at.

“I was always out and about, trying other sports. I played soccer for a really long time. I actually played travel soccer. I tried to get into lacrosse, but by that time, I was kind of too old, and my coach for hockey was like you got to pick, because you can’t play soccer, lacrosse, and hockey. I was like, ‘I love hockey too much,” Crawford explained.

He would continue by adding what he loves about playing hockey by saying, “Just the freedom, when you have the puck on your stick, you can make plays open up and help make things develop. Even one stride, the play can change, or one deception with a stick, anything. Honestly, I think it’s just a beautiful game.”

Crawford explained that his oldest brother, Cole, would set the tone for the love of hockey between the three brothers, which was followed by the middle sibling, Breck, and then finally Crawford once he was old enough. Cole, one day, was out rollerblading before being stopped by an AA hockey coach who was drawn to Cole due to his skating. Cole ended up loving it, and Crawford said Break would follow shortly after, as Cole is the group leader, according to Crawford. He would also explain that before he could get on skates, he was hitting stuff around the house like hockey pucks and would chase his brothers around by running around the rink as they skated past during their games.

While being the youngest in the family forced him to build some tough skin, he is grateful for growing up with Cole and Breck.

“Yeah, I’m the youngest. It’s not bad, it’s better now. When I was younger, it was way worse. Nothing crazy, it was just always getting picked on, which is good. It builds you into something stronger, and you can take more heat. My oldest brother was always the one breaking up fights between me and my middle brother. (Breck) was always starting something, and I could never finish it. He was the menace,” he said about his brothers.

When asked how tight-knit they are now, Crawford responded by saying, “Incredibly,  I try to talk to them at least once a week, if not then every other week.

He added that while his brothers played in a tournament in Quebec for an AA hockey tournament before going to the EHL and NCAA Div III, they never had the opportunity to move north of the border for a full season, which their youngest brother accomplished this season.

“I love it, they love it. I wish they could come out here and watch, but it’s so hard for them now with jobs and everything. It’s so difficult, especially because they’re just starting their jobs, and you pretty much have to earn your vacation days. It’s honestly just a timing thing, but they’re incredibly excited,” Crawford explained.

His brothers may not be able to make the trip to Okotoks this season, but that hasn’t stopped Crawford from soaking in the area and embracing his new home in Okotoks.

“It’s been awesome. I’ve actually loved every second of it. The break home was awesome, but then two days before we came back, I was excited and ready to go, which honestly doesn’t happen much. Usually, I don’t want to leave my own bed, but you’re excited to go because I’ve made a great group of friends on this team. It’s honestly been so great so far,” he added about his experience in Okotoks.

Crawford didn’t join the Oilers at the beginning of the season, as he was acquired in mid-November. He praised the team, noting how easy the transition was.

“Yeah, they were extremely friendly right off the bat. It was kind of like they’ve always known me. First practice in, they’re calling for passes using my name. It was awesome, it did’t feel like much of a transition. Obviously, the first week is awkward, but every hockey player has been through that. Then, after that, it’s kind of like it never happened,” Crawford said about his teammates helping him transition.

“I do feel like this is a really tight group. I do feel like every team tries to work bonds, but I feel like most teams have separate groups that tend to hang out with each other outside of the rink. This is a team that tries to hang out with each other.”

Every teammate on the Oilers is looking to get an NCAA commitment to continue their hockey careers if they haven’t acquired one already, and Crawford is no different, as he said it’s his “number one priority”. Crawford hopes the move to the BCHL from the NAHL allows him to fulfill that goal. He would explain that the NAHL was a great league to learn more of the physical, gritty, and positioning, but added that the BCHL is more skilled, which is an area he is trying to grow.

Crawford is no slouch when it comes to skilled plays, and it was no more evident on January 3, on the road against Vernon, when he danced around a Viper near the blueline to keep the puck in the attacking zone, followed by turning a Viper defenceman insideout by putting it between his legs and finished it off with a beautiful backhand pass to Oilers assistant captain Jamie Hikida who smashed it home. Crawford explained he was able to execute the play with a mix of natural instincts and reading the play as it was developing in front of him.

“I think it’s a lot of stick-handling in the driveway with five seconds left on the clock in your head going on. Honestly, I’ve kind of always had pretty good hands, but never really tried to showcase it or be flashy,” he added.

Defence was always the position that grabbed Crawford’s heart, as he said the only time he had played forward was during spring tournaments for fun.

“I just think it’s a great feeling when you’re taking on a rush and to be able to take the play and use it into an offensive ability immediately. I think it’s such a cool feeling to generate a rush off their rush,” Crawford said about why he loves to play on the backend.

When it comes to having fellow Americans on the team, Crawford said it didn’t make much of a difference as he doesn’t think about people if they are Canadian or American, and also explained he’s played with Europeans in the past as well. While on the topic of former teammates, Crawford played with Henry Brzustewicz growing up, who is the brother of current Calgary Wrangler and 2023 third-round pick for the Calgary Flames, Hunter Brzustewicz. Crawford explained that he was best friends with Henry back in their U16 days and still keeps in touch as they both wished each other a happy New Year.

Crawford plans to see the Flames live this season. He said he got an opportunity when Seattle came to visit, as the Oilers were doing 50/50, but joked by saying, “We didn’t really get to watch for long, we were grinding to meet our quota.”

One thing that Crawford has taken advantage of being away from his hometown of Atlanta is getting to play hockey on the outdoor rinks. He explained that the closest you could get to outdoor rinks back home was playing roller hockey, which was a place where he would practice his skills growing up in the area.

On top of playing roller hockey a ton in his spare time growing up, two key members in helping Crawford not only continue to build his skills but help shape him into the man he is today are his parents, Pam and John.

“Everything,” he said about what his parents mean to him. “They are both my number one supporters equally. They have given me every opportunity I’ve had, letting me move away at 14 years old. Every mom knows how hard it is to let their boy move away; it’s not a fun feeling, especially because you don’t know what’s going to happen. So for them to trust me like that, I’m forever in their debt.”

While Crawford has been away from home for the majority of the year playing hockey, it only makes the family gatherings that much more special.

“It’s awesome. Us five, we do everything together for those breaks. Then in summer, all three months, I’m taking turns staying at my oldest brother’s house, my middle brother’s house, and my parents’ house. I’m just taking turns. Wherever I can go, spending as much time as possible,” Crawford explained.

Both Pam and John are planning on coming down soon to watch Crawford play. He plans on taking his parents around the area and showing off the mountains and wildlife around Okotoks. One animal his parents will have to get used to is deer, as anyone who has ever been to Okotoks knows how common it is to see one just walking on the sidewalk.

“I was helping my billet dad shovel the driveway, I think it was right after the (BCHL holiday break), and these two deer came out from the back of the house, just walking right by us as if nothing happened. I was probably an arm’s length away. It was crazy. If he (Crawford’s billet dad), I probably would have tried to talk to him. He was like, don’t talk to them,” he explained about his meeting with Okotoks wildlife.

Crawford would explain that moving around at a young age helped him integrate himself into the town as well. He has built a mindset to be positive and to look at each move as an exciting opportunity, rather than dwelling and becoming homesick.

One struggle some players have when they first enter the BCHL is the long roadtrips. Crawford explained that they don’t bother him at all, as he not only enjoys the rides but says they are shorter than some of the trips he has to take when playing in the NAHL, unlike the USHL, which is a league he has also played in. He said that usually his brothers or dad have a movie or TV show recommendation which he will watch while on the bus, or the team will have a game going on their phones, which he will join in on. One thing Crawford has a tough time doing on the bus, though, is falling asleep.

“Oh, it’s hard, it’s really hard. I think it’s all about who’s across from you. Willy’s (Brett Wilson) across from me, so we both sleep pretty nicely. He takes up one side, I take up the other, so it’s kind of perfect for that. But, I mean, it’s always kind of hard to fall asleep on the bus. It’s not an easy thing to do,” Crawford said about sleeping on the bus.

Eric Young is known for having a little bed on roadtrips where he can sprawl out and get comfortable. Crawford said he loves seeing Young get relaxed on the little bed and said he would do the same thing if he were lucky enough to have one. The one thing he would worry about, though, is having to wake up at 5:00 a.m. after coming back from places like Vernon while being in a deep sleep, and having to roll up a bed or hammock after arriving.

Crawford has felt more comfortable on the ice since joining the Oilers, and it’s evident as he has been getting on the scoresheet. He explained that getting points is a part of his game and said he was in a bit of a drought at the start of his arrival, but has since turned it on. Crawford takes pride just as much in his defensive side of the game as his offensive side, as he is a two-way defenceman.

“I used to be just an offensive defenceman, and I wasn’t very good at defence, but then I had a coach in the NAHL, Nick Bruneteau, he really helped me out with the defensive side of the game, as well as the offensive. He pretty much developed me into what I am now, and I’m just trying to take whatever strides I can,” he explained. When asked how he would describe his style of play, Crawford responded by saying,

“A two-way defenceman that loves to switch the sides of the ice with where the puck is, loves to have the puck on the blue line, extremely confident. Very confident player overall with edge work and vision.”

As for the Green Army, Crawford is over the moon with the support the fans have given him since becoming a member of the Green and Gold.

“It’s awesome. At the end of the day, they’re paying their money to come watch you play. So, you’ve got to play your heart out for them; they’re paying their hard-earned money on a random night to come watch you on a weekend. So, it’s all about them,” he said.

Crawford would also praise the younger fans who come out and cheer the team on, as it means a ton to each one of the players who hit the ice. He would explain that while doing the 50/50 raffle at a Flames game, a member of the Green Army came up to him and explained her ties to the Oilers. Crawford would then help the lady back to her seat, as her hands were full. Shortly after getting her to the seat, her kid would start chanting “number six” and “Crawford,” which he said, “This is so cool.”

As for a message for the Green Army, Crawford said, “We appreciate everything you guys do. Every game you guys come out to, at the end of the day, it’s time out of your guys’ day to come watch us be the best we can be, and we’re going to make sure that we continue to do that.”