Cronin hired as coach of Ducks, replaces Eakins

Greg Cronin was hired as coach of the Anaheim Ducks on Monday.

The 60-year-old replaces Dallas Eakins and will hold the position for the first time in the NHL after five seasons as coach of Colorado in the American Hockey League, an affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche.

"I'm excited and honored to be named head coach of the Anaheim Ducks," Cronin said. "This team has a fantastic future ahead, and I'm very grateful to the (owner Henry) Samueli family and (general manager) Pat Verbeek for entrusting me with this amazing opportunity."

Eakins was fired April 14, one day after the Ducks ended the regular season with a team-record 13 consecutive losses (0-11-2) and last in the NHL standings (23-47-12). They did not win their first regulation game until defeating the New York Rangers 3-2 at Honda Center in Anaheim on Nov. 23. The Ducks ranked 31st in goals per game (2.51), last in goals against per game (4.09), and 31st on the power play (15.7 percent) and penalty kill (72.1 percent).

Anaheim has not qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2017-18, when it was swept by the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference First Round. The Ducks own the No. 2 pick in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 28-29.

"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," Verbeek said. "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."

Cronin was an NHL assistant coach for 12 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders, and Islanders associate coach in 2017-18. He coached New York's AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, Connecticut, from 2003-05, guiding the Sound Tigers to the Calder Cup Playoffs in his first season.

"I'm one of these guys, I believe in innovation, I believe in change," Cronin said. "You've got to have a healthy balance, but it starts with your habits, and if your practice habits aren't good, they're going to follow you right into the game."

Cronin coached Northeastern University for six seasons (2005-11). He won Hockey East's Bob Kullen Coach of the Year Award after the Huskies improved from three wins in his first season to an NCAA tournament appearance in 2009, the school's first in 15 years.

He interviewed to be coach of the Boston Bruins after the 2021-22 season, but Jim Montgomery was hired to replace Bruce Cassidy.

"A year ago, I was involved with the Bruins open position and it was a very different dynamic there with an older team," Cronin said. "They were this close to winning a [Stanley] Cup and I think [the front office] was looking for a personality that might be a little different that 'Butch' Cassidy's after his eight years as a coach there, and it was a great experience, great opportunity, and they went with Jimmy Montgomery and he did a heck of a job.

"If you had asked me, that position compared to this position in terms of what fits my strengths, I would say this position does."

Along with the No. 2 pick in the draft, the Ducks have a young core that includes forwards Trevor Zegras (21 years old), Mason McTavish (20), Isac Lundestrom (23) and Troy Terry (25) and defenseman Jamie Drysdale (21).

"I've been in so many organizations that needed rebuilds, going all the way back to the New York Islanders when Mike Milbury was there, and we had young guys like Zdeno Chara and he ends up being a first ballot Hall of Famer," Cronin said. "He was a young kid, 19-20 years old, and my background in development from the University of Maine and the U.S. National Program meshed really well with that."

Three NHL teams remain without a coach: the Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets and Rangers. The Washington Capitals hired Spencer Carbery on May 30, and the Nashville Predators hired Andrew Brunette coach the next day.