It’s been a long and winding road, but Greg Cronin is finally the head coach of an NHL club.
The Anaheim Ducks announced on Monday that Cronin will be the 11th head coach in team history. The former assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs will replace Dallas Eakins, another coach who was previously in the Leafs organization.
“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 General Manager Pat Verbeek. “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 began his coaching career in the NCAA in the late 1980s after spending four seasons playing for Colby College. He co-founded the United States National Development Program and spent the inaugural season of the program as director of player development in 1996-97 and served as head coach in 1997-98.
He made the jump to the NHL when he joined the New York Islanders as an assistant coach for the 1999-00 season and he later became the head coach of their AHL affiliate. Cronin returned to the NCAA to be the head coach of Northeastern University and was named the Hockey East’s Coach of the Year in 2009 after guiding the team to a 25-12-4 record and the school’s first NCAA tournament appearance in 15 years.
After six seasons with Northeastern, Cronin returned to the NHL as an assistant coach on Randy Carlyle’s staff with the Maple Leafs. Most recently, Cronin spent five seasons as the head coach of the Colorado Eagles, the AHL affiliate of the Avalanche.
“I’m excited and honored to be named head coach of the Anaheim Ducks,” said Cronin. “This team has a fantastic future ahead, and I’m very grateful to the Samueli family and Pat Verbeek for entrusting me with this amazing opportunity.”
The Ducks finished dead last in the NHL last season with a 23-47-12 record. They’ve missed the playoffs in five consecutive seasons, which is the longest drought in franchise history.
