Anaheim, California – Greg Cronin was fired on Saturday as coach of the Anaheim Ducks after two seasons, general manager Pat Verbeek announced.
“He is responsible for many ways for the improvement we have seen in our young nucleus. However, after several weeks of careful evaluation, I concluded that we needed a change in the direction and a new voice,” said Verbeek in a statement on Cronin. “This was an extremely difficult decision for me, but I felt that it was necessary to continue our progress to become a Stanley Cup contender that I know we can be.”
Cronin is the first coach dismissed since the regular season ended Thursday with more expected changes in the League. Chicago and Philadelphia have internal coaches.
The Ducks lost the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season, ending 35-37-10. His 80 points were an improvement of 21 points during the past year, but they were not enough to save Cronin’s work.
Cronin registered 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 affiliated with the avalanche of Colorado.
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