The Anaheim Ducks have hired Greg Cronin as the 11th head coach in franchise history, replacing the recently departed Dallas Eakins.
Greg Cronin used to be an assistant coach on the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2011 to 2014.The Anaheim Ducks have found their man.
The Ducks finally filled their vacancy behind the bench on Monday, announcing that the club has hired Greg Cronin as the 11th head coach in franchise history, replacing the departed Dallas Eakins who was dismissed shortly after the conclusion of the regular season.
This might be Cronin's first taste of a head coaching job in the NHL, but he still enters the job with an extensive history at the big-league level. The 60-year-old served as an assistant for 12 seasons with the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs, as well as a stint as the Islanders' director of player development from 2003 to 2005.
Outside of the NHL, Cronin has held the title of head coach on a number of occasions, as well. From 2005 to 2011, Cronin was the bench boss for Northeastern University's men's hockey team, winning the Bob Kullen Coach of the Year Award in 2009 as the Hockey East's most outstanding coach.
Cronin most recently served as the head coach of the AHL's Colorado Eagles from 2018 until his appointment to the Ducks position today. Throughout his time in Colorado, Cronin led the Eagles to a 164-104-30 record and four Calder Cup playoff appearances in five seasons.
"While we did cast a wide net in searching for the next head coach, it became clear to me that Greg would be the ideal fit for the position," said Ducks GM Pat Verbeek in a statement on Monday.
"Being a young team, I felt we needed a teacher of the finer points of the game, and someone who has worked extensively over time with talented young players, helping them develop into successful NHL players. Greg has done all that and more, and we are excited to name him head coach of the Anaheim Ducks."
The Ducks were recently granted the second-overall pick in the 2023 draft and will add whomever they select to a prospect pool that is consistently ranked among the best in the entire NHL, giving Cronin more than a few tools to work with.