Joel Quenneville Named Anaheim Ducks HC After Greg Cronin Firing

Joel Quenneville will soon be tasked with developing the Anaheim Ducks' young stars into playoff contenders.

The 66-year-old was announced as the team's new head coach on Thursday:

TSN's Darren Dreger first reported Quenneville would serve as Anaheim's new coach.

Quenneville will take over for Greg Cronin, whom the Ducks parted ways with after two seasons and a 62-87-15 record with the team.

In a statement announcing Cronin's departure, general manager Pat Verbeek described the former head coach as "responsible in many ways for the improvement we’ve seen from our young core."

Verbeek added that Cronin's dismissal was a "difficult decision," but one he "felt it was necessary to continue our progress toward becoming a Stanley Cup contender that I know we can be.”

Quenneville will now look to help Anaheim's young core of Trevor Zegras, Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier and Jackson LaCombe take the next step and carry the Ducks into the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.

Quenneville has not coached since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, when he was deemed ineligible to work in the NHL. Commissioner Gary Bettman said in an October 2021 statement that Quenneville was one of the Chicago Blackhawks leaders who "mishandled the 2010 sexual assault claim by former player Kyle Beach."

The NHL announced in July 2024 that Quenneville, Blackhawks former general manager/team president Stan Bowman and Blackhawks former senior vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac could again seek NHL employment.

The league said in a statement that the Blackhawks leaders' "responses were unacceptable," but they had "demonstrated sincere remorse" and "made significant strides in personal improvement."

Quenneville had a career record of 454-239-96 with the Blackhawks, whom he led to three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He most recently coached the Panthers to a 79-40-13 mark over parts of three seasons.