Greg Cronin was fired Saturday as coach of the Anaheim Ducks after two seasons, general manager Pat Verbeek announced.
“He is responsible in many ways for the improvement we’ve seen from our young core. However, after several weeks of careful evaluation, I concluded we needed a change in direction and a new voice,” Verbeek said in a statement about Cronin. “This was an extremely difficult decision for me to make, but I felt it was necessary to continue our progress toward becoming a Stanley Cup contender that I know we can be.”
Cronin is the first coach fired since the regular season ended on Thursday with more changes expected around the league. Chicago and Philadelphia have interim coaches.
The Ducks missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season, finishing 35-37-10. Their 80 points were a 21-point improvement over last year, but weren’t enough to save Cronin’s job.
Cronin posted a 62-87-15 record in two seasons. He joined the Ducks after five seasons with the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League. The Eagles are an affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche.
The next coach of the Ducks will have a talented young core to work with.
Anaheim’s 178 points from players age 22 or younger (74 goals, 104 assists) were second to San Jose. That young cast includes centre Mason McTavish, who led the team with 22 goals and was second in points with 52.
Centre Leo Carlsson, the second overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft, had 20 goals and 44 points while left wing Cutter Gauthier had 20 goals and 44 points in his first full season. The core also features defencemen Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger.
