The Anaheim Ducks hired Greg Cronin from the Colorado Eagles to be their 11th head coach, a move that Cronin called a blessing when he met with the media on Monday. This is Cronin’s first head coaching job in the NHL.
“I’m ecstatic to be here,” Cronin said at the press conference. “I think this is right up my wheelhouse as a coach.”
The Eagles plastered a virtual greeting card thanking him for his five years as their head coach on the front page of their website. Cronin compiled a record of 164-104-30 and led the team to Calder Cup Playoff appearances three times. In fact, only COVID-19 prevented him from more appearances, as the playoffs were canceled in 2020 and 2021.
The Avalanche control the hiring process, as the Eagles are a farm team for them, so not much information is available as to when the Eagles will have a new coach. Cronin thanked the Eagles for his time with them and emphasized the “absolutely unprecedented” support from fans and owner Martin Lind.
“What an amazing organization,” Cronin said. “This accomplishment would not have been possible without the Colorado Eagles.”
Cronin then set the tone for the Ducks, saying that there would be the same standard and identity he set for the Eagles. “Change starts where your feet are,” Cronin said, “and we’ll work on that right out of training camp.”
This kind of talk is exactly why general manager Pat Verbeek hired Cronin, he said at the press conference. Cronin emphasized toughness with his teams and an aggressive defensive approach.
“When we are playing the right way, it’s going to be hard to get scoring chances,” Cronin said. “It’s hard to get to the inside ice.”
Verbeek also didn’t want to call Cronin a defensive coach (he said Cronin’s structure was in fact the opposite). Both said they wanted to play fast and prioritize puck management.
“What I really like about Greg is he has old school principles and new school methods of teaching,” Verbeek said. “I think it’s a great combination.”
Before he began his career as the Ducks’ head coach, Cronin issued a thank-you of his own: “I thoroughly enjoyed every moment in Northern Colorado and interacting with the incredible community there. I want to personally thank everyone in Eagles Country for the amazing five years that I enjoyed with you.”
Lind echoes Cronin’s appreciation in his own words of thanks for all the years he led the Eagles—and former Eagles turned NHL players—to victory.
“Coach Cronin’s demand for technical excellence has proven to be a very successful strategy given our terrific record of winning and producing excellent NHL players these last five years here at the Colorado Eagles,” Lind said. “We couldn’t be happier for Greg now that Anaheim has selected him as head coach of the Ducks, and I would expect Greg to be very successful with that great organization. We congratulate Greg on this amazing achievement to be selected as head coach of the Anaheim Ducks!”
