Crawford Earns Two ECHL Honors After Dominant January
Published on February 4, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Kansas City Mavericks News Release
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - Kansas City Mavericks defenseman Marcus Crawford added another milestone to a standout season, earning two ECHL awards in the span of two days after a dominant January that helped keep the Mavericks at the top of the league standings.
Crawford was named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Player of the Month for January and the AMI Graphics ECHL Plus Performer of the Month, giving one of Kansas City's top players a pair of league-wide honors for the same stretch of games. He is the first ECHL defenseman to win Player of the Month since Allen's Les Lancaster in May 2021, and he became the first player to win multiple Plus Performer of the Month awards in the same season since Florida's Logan Roe in 2019-20 after also taking the honor in December.
"Marcus Crawford is having a tremendous year," Mavericks head coach Tad O'Had said. "He has been rock-steady in every aspect for the Mavericks, delivering exactly what this team needs night after night. His impact on special teams, both the power play and the penalty kill, has been outstanding, and he continues to log major minutes at 5-on-5 without ever sacrificing consistency or compete level."
"Marcus is the definition of a complete player," O'Had added. "He's putting together a true career year, and we couldn't be prouder of the work he has put in to reach this point. His dedication, professionalism, and desire to elevate his game are evident every time he steps on the ice."
Crawford produced 21 points in 13 January games, scoring three goals and adding 18 assists, while posting a plus-minus rating of +16 as Kansas City went 12-1-0 during the month. He recorded at least one point in 12 of 13 games and logged six multi-point performances, including three-assist nights against Fort Wayne (Jan. 2) and at Utah (Jan. 17), and a three-point effort (one goal, two assists) against Tahoe (Jan. 23).
The Plus Performer honor reflected both production and consistency. Crawford finished January with a league-best +16, and he was even or better in 12 of 13 games, highlighted by a +4 performance at Utah on Jan. 17 and +3 ratings against Tulsa on Jan. 10 and Wichita on Jan. 31.
Through 41 games this season, Crawford leads ECHL defensemen and ranks second overall in the league with 52 points, including a league-leading 43 assists. His +43 rating leads the ECHL, and his nine goals are tied for second among defensemen. He was also selected to represent Kansas City at the ECHL All-Star Game this season.
Crawford, a native of Ajax, Ontario, is also nearing another benchmark as a Maverick: He is three points away from 200 total points with Kansas City.
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