Canadiens name Eric Crawford pro scouting director

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin. (Paul Chiasson/CP)

MONTREAL – Eric Crawford was promoted to director of professional scouting by the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday to replace Vaughn Karpan, who has joined the new NHL franchise in Las Vegas.

Crawford, the younger brother of Ottawa Senators assistant coach Marc Crawford, was hired by the Canadiens as a pro scout last season after 16 years in the Vancouver Canucks organization.

Karpan joined the Canadiens as a scout in 2005 and was put in charge of pro scouting in May, 2015.

The Flin Flon, Man., native, who will be director of pro scouting, is one of the early hires by the Las Vegas club, which has George McPhee as general manager and Kelly McCrimmon as assistant GM. The as-yet unnamed team is to begin play in the 2017-18 season.

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