Ducks fire head coach Cronin after 2 seasons

The Anaheim Ducks fired head coach Greg Cronin, the team announced Saturday.

Cronin posted a 62-87-15 record in two seasons with the club, though the team had a 21-point improvement from Year 1 to Year 2.

"I want to personally thank Greg for his tireless work and dedication to the team," general manager Pat Verbeek said. "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."

Verbeek added that he saw "concerns" that led to to the coaching change, according to Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times.

Anaheim ranked last in the league with the man advantage and 29th on the penalty kill this past season. Verbeek added "there were other reasons" beyond special teams, though he wouldn't share the specifics.

The Ducks have missed the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons.