ANAHEIM, Calif. — Colby College graduate and former UMaine coach Greg Cronin was fired Saturday as head 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.”
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.
Cronin was the interim head coach at UMaine during parts of the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons while Shawn Walsh served a one-year suspension. He also was Northeastern’s head coach for six seasons.
A native of Arlington, Massachusetts, Cronin played at Colby from 1982-86.
The next coach of the Ducks will have a talented young core to work with.
Anaheim’s 178 points this season from players age 22 or younger (74 goals, 104 assists) were second to San Jose. That young cast includes center Mason McTavish, who led the team with 22 goals and was second in points with 52.
RANGERS: Peter Laviolette was fired as head coach, ending his tenure after two seasons, the second of which was a massive underachievement of missing the playoffs.
General manager Chris Drury made the move less than 48 hours after the finale of a lost season that followed a trip to the Eastern Conference final last year and set the stage for Stanley Cup-contending aspirations. Instead, the result was inconsistent, uninspired hockey that caused New York to finish six points out of the playoffs and cost Laviolette his job.
Assistant Phil Housley was also fired. Owner James Dolan and Drury are expected to start the search for a full-time head coach soon, and roster changes are all but certain to happen in the coming weeks and months.
Laviolette was in his sixth head-coaching job in the NHL.
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