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.

"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."

The Ducks have missed the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons.