The Anaheim Ducks announced on April 19 that Greg Cronin would not return as head coach of the organization for the 2025-26 season.
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The Ducks are one of four teams (New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Seattle Kraken) in the NHL with a vacancy behind their bench. Three other teams are currently employing interim coaches (Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers), while two more face uncertainty (New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks).
With as few as four and as many as nine NHL head coaching job openings, the landscape will likely require more time for clarity before hiring announcements begin.
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek met with media members following the team’s announcement that they were going to go in a different direction with their head coach. During his availability, he stated the search was going to be similar to how he handled the process his first time around, in which he notably had a long list of candidates on his radar before Cronin was ultimately hired.
“Timeline, we’re going to start the search and start to make a list immediately,” Verbeek said on April 19. “I really don’t have a timeline on it. I’m going to look to hire the best candidate for this team and what it needs moving forward.”
A look at coaches currently holding head coaching positions around the league and when they were hired will indicate when to expect a coaching announcement from the Ducks.
Coaches are either let go at some point during the NHL season or shortly after the conclusion of the season. Since the Ducks elected for the latter, a look at previous offseason hires is necessary.
2022
Ten NHL head coaching hires were made in the 2022 offseason. The New York Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Winnipeg Jets, and San Jose Sharks all made changes behind their bench after the 2021-22 season.
Nine of the ten were announced between June 14 and July 3. The ninth was made on July 22 (David Quinn to San Jose) because the Sharks were in the midst of a change at the general manager position.
Due to the previous COVID-shortened seasons, the 2021-22 regular season ended on May 1. The majority of the hires came between six and eight weeks following the conclusion of the regular season.
2023
Six head coaching hires were made following the 2022-23 season. The Washington Capitals, Nashville Predators, Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, New York Rangers, and Columbus Blue Jackets all made hires before the 2023-24 season.
The earliest hires were made on May 30, and the latest one was made on July 1. Five of the six occurred in the two weeks between May 30 and June 13. The 2022-23 season ended in mid-April, as is typical for the NHL season, placing the majority of hires in the same six to eight-week period following the conclusion of the regular season.
2024
The Summer of 2024 saw seven teams make changes behind their benches. The Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Winnipeg Jets, San Jose Sharks, and Columbus Blue Jackets all made changes.
Compared to the two previous offseasons, 2024 was an anomaly on both sides of the hiring timeline. The Sabres got the party started just four days following the end of the season, when they hired Lindy Ruff on April 22. The next four hirings came between May 7 and May 24, while the last two came on June 13 and July 22.
Today
If patterns are to be drawn in regards to when and how teams come to decisions on their next head coach, a general target window of six to eight weeks following the end of the season can be established.
However, because there are so many openings and more potential candidates to come on the horizon, teams may be more inclined to take their time. There is typically a waiting period as teams interview candidates, followed by a first domino and several rapid announcements.
The only substantial news that has been reported within the coaching landscape this offseason is that the Ducks have interviewed Joel Quenneville and that David Carle has removed himself from contention in the Blackhawks’ search.
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported on Tuesday’s “Morning Cuppa Hockey” show that the Ducks are the only team confirmed to be in the process of conducting interviews.
“I think Anaheim’s trying,” Saravalli said. “They’re the first team that I know that has actually completed interviews and has more scheduled. They’re grinding away to try and make that happen.”
The Penguins parted with Mike Sullivan on Monday, effectively adding him to the market. Rick Tocchet (Vancouver) and Patrick Roy’s (Islanders) respective positions seem uncertain, so they could become potential candidates soon as well.
Pat Verbeek said he was going to cast a wide net and wasn’t going to eliminate anyone from his search. He does seem to have a head start on the opposition with Seravalli’s report. If he doesn’t intend to interview Tocchet or Roy, the Ducks might be the first of those dominoes to fall, set the market on the coaching landscape, and make the first move, hiring their future head coach of the franchise.
Odds suggest the Ducks will hire their coach near the end of May, but if there were an outlier to make an earlier announcement, it would likely be Anaheim.
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