Brad Richardson stored it in a box in his Arizona garage after he signed a one-year contract with the Nashville Predators. Christian Fischer kept it displayed in his bedroom, in the house he was renting from Richardson. Lawson Crouse isn’t certain where he will display his new hardware, but a mild flex in the Coyotes dressing room is an option.

“Maybe I’ll just keep it out in my stall so every time I open my stall I see it,” Crouse said, laughing. “Guys will see I’m a nice guy.”

For media, teammates, coaches and staff members who know him, the last part is undeniable. Crouse isn’t the blunt, edgy media presence that Richardson is. He doesn’t mimic Fischer’s jovial, irrepressibly positive personality either, but he makes his mark on those around him with a quiet, thoughtful and open approach.

“He’s such an important player to this organization with the way he plays, but it’s not just that,” Coyotes executive Shane Doan said. “It’s the stuff that you see as a reporter on a daily basis. You see his interactions with people, the way he connects with people, the way he cares about others. 

“He showed up as a 19-year-old to watch my son’s games two or three times with the Jr. Coyotes when Josh was like 13 or 14 – him and his dad. I just admire who he is as a person, and the amount that he cares about others. He’s a guy you want on your team.”

Local media who cover the Coyotes got keyed into Crouse’s low-key, next-level analysis a few seasons ago when locker room access was still a thing. When Crouse discussed the opportunity for a fresh start at media day this fall, reporters were reminded of just how introspective and insightful the 2015 first-round draft pick can be.

Crouse is the 2020-21 recipient of the Shane Doan Good Guy Award, presented annually by the Arizona chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association to a Coyote who shows respect for the media profession, accessibility and quotability. The award is only three years old, but it is named after a guy who could have won it for 15 years running. 

Richardson won the inaugural award in 2018-19. He passed along his unique brand of congratulations on Thursday.

Fischer won it in 2019-20. In the future, the award will be presented in the offseason, but COVID-19 delayed Fischer’s ceremony so we delayed this season’s as well to give Fischer more time to enjoy his trophy.

“I think I might have won player of the week one time but other than that, this is my prized possession in my six years so far in the NHL so it’s tough to see it go,” Fischer quipped.

“I think Lawson is a great pick. This award talks specifically about what you value in life, and obviously, media is a big part of what we do. It’s almost half our job. There are plenty of guys that kind of shy away from that, worrying that it could get you in trouble or you could say the wrong thing. I think you can find the right balance of being vulnerable and being honest and showing emotions. Lawson is a great example of just having that balance and being respectful and making the time for media – all the things that Shane did for 20 years.”

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On Wednesday, the day before the local chapter presented Crouse with the award, I caught up with him via Zoom for a chat about Doan’s influence, his underrated baseball potential, his approach to media and a fresh start this season. Don’t worry, Butter Pig Crouse also stopped by for a visit as Lawson detailed Butter’s harrowing encounter with a scorpion.

Here is the video:

And just to verify that baseball potential that Crouse abandoned to focus on hockey because he is, after all, Canadian, here’s a video that Crouse’s dad, Mike, passed along of Crouse going yard at Ohio State a few days before the season opener in Columbus.

“When the top prospects got to Florida for the 2015 draft, he took batting practice with the Florida Marlins and he went yard with his natural swing,” Mike Crouse said. “When he was traded to Arizona, he took batting practice again with the D-backs and also went deep.

“My dad was a baseball guy and me as well. Law played baseball as a younger kid and was very good. Who knows if he could have been a dual athlete.”

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