For the seventh-straight season, the Anaheim Ducks will not participate in the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. Next year, they’ll attempt to break that streak with a new face behind the bench.
The team announced Saturday that head coach Greg Cronin won’t return next season. In two seasons at the helm, the Ducks put together a 62-87-15 record.
During the 2024-2025 regular season, which ended this week, the Ducks went 35-37-10 — good for 80 points in the standings, which is 16 behind the St. Louis Blues for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.
“I want to personally thank Greg for his tireless work and dedication to the team,” said General Manager Pat Verbeek in a statement. “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. 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 was hired before the 2023-2024 season. Before serving as Ducks head coach, he coached the Colorado Eagles, the minor league AHL affiliate for the Colorado Avalanche.
His prowess as a developer of talent was key in his hiring by Anaheim. The franchise was rebuilding its roster after many years of contending for a Stanley Cup.
Ducks leadership clearly wasn’t happy with the progress made in his two seasons, however.
The Ducks will now search for a new head coach, where higher expectations will be in place for next season. With young talent like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish and Trevor Zegras — all under the age of 25 — the Ducks should be expected to compete for a playoff spot in 2025-2026.
