Marc Crawford is going from the bench to the broadcast booth.

The former Colorado Avalanche coach has joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporations' Hockey Night in Canada for the upcoming season.

He'll serve as in-game analyst, returning to a role he previously held during the 1998-99 season.

Crawford spent the past two seasons coaching the Los Angeles Kings before getting fired earlier this summer.

"I couldn't be more excited to begin my second tenure with Hockey Night in Canada," he said. "I've coached from coast to coast in this country and I have a deep respect for the place that hockey holds in the hearts of Canadians."

Crawford's role also will include a weekly Web column and satellite radio appearances.

The 47-year-old spent six years in the NHL as a player and 13 as a head coach. He won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 1995 with the Quebec Nordiques. He later guided the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup in 1996. Crawford also coached the Vancouver Canucks for several years - and his tenure included a role in the Todd Bertuzzi- Steve Moore incident.

Crawford, who will be based in Vancouver, says he doesn't know who his play-by-play partner will be.

Crawford, who signed a one-year contract with the CBC, also received job offers from Canada's TSN cable channel and ESPN to work as a studio analyst.

"I laughed and said I must not be a very good coach, because I've received three offers to do TV," Crawford said to the (Toronto) Globe and Mail. "But at the same time, it was flattering."

He chose the CBC because the sole Saturday night telecast would allow him more time with his family. And he prefers the booth to the studio.

"I like being in the rink, and this gave me an opportunity to be there," he said.