Ducks Move On From Greg Cronin

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The Anaheim Ducks announced on Saturday morning that Greg Cronin would not be returning as head coach for the 2025-26 season.

Per TSN and The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, Cronin had one year left on his deal next season.

Cronin compiled a 62-87-15 record during his two seasons as Ducks head coach, with the team finishing seventh and six in the Pacific Division respectively.

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I want to personally thank Greg for his tireless work and dedication to the team,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said in a team-released 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 brought in to hold players accountable and help the team improve defensively, almost a polar opposite to his predecessor, Dallas Eakins. While players like Trevor Zegras did start to round out their all-around game, their offensive ability overall was stunted and poor defensive performances were papered over by spectacular goaltending.

Strong post-4 Nations performances from players like Zegras, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish helped spur the Ducks, but they failed to register a record over .500 after the trade deadline, dropping several key games to teams that they were competing against for a chance to make the playoffs.

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Cronin’s over reliance on veteran players and unwillingness at times to put the team’s young players in positions to succeed also displayed an inconsistency in accountability.

Rumors of discontent with Cronin inside the Ducks’ locker room both last season and this season may have also played a role in his release.

With Cronin no longer at the helm, Verbeek must now identify a head coach who he believes can help take the Ducks to the playoffs, a goal that he’s already stated for next season.

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