Greg Cronin Head Coach First season at NU: 2005-06 Alma Mater: Colby '86

Men's Hockey 2008-09 •TEAM PAGE | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | TEAM STATS

The 2008-09 season will be Greg Cronin's fourth behind the Northeastern bench. Last season was another positive step as he led the team to a 16-18-3 overall record and a 12-13-2 mark in Hockey East in 2007-08. It was the Huskies' highest win total since 2001-02 and the team's most Hockey East wins since 1997-98. The Huskies posted an 11-game, 9-0-2 unbeaten streak during the 2007-08 campaign, during which the team rose to a No. 7 national ranking, and Northeastern was in contention for home-ice in the Hockey East playoffs until the final regular-season game. This all came after the Huskies posted a league-best, 10-win improvement in 2006-07. Northeastern has added five recruits for the 2008-09 season and loses just two players from last season's squad. Cronin, a Boston native, has coached hockey since 1987 and has a stellar reputation in recruiting and player development. He has coached at all levels from the University of Maine and Colorado College to the U.S. National Team Development Program to the National Hockey League. In his three seasons as Northeastern head coach, the Huskies' personnel has greatly improved, as well as the systems on the ice. After a rough first season on Huntington Avenue, Cronin led the Huskies to a turnaround season in 2006-07. Northeastern's goal total improved by 17 and the team's goals against average went from 3.47 to 2.71. Those statistics were solid once again in 2007-08, as Northeastern improved to 2.5 goals per game (up from 2.3) and had a team goals against average of 2.80. Prior to Northeastern, Cronin was head coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League, the top affiliate of the NHL's New York Islanders. He also served as Director of Player Development with the Islanders. From 1998-2005, Cronin worked in the Islanders organization. From 1998-2003, Cronin served as an assistant with the big club under Mike Milbury, Butch Goring and Peter Laviolette. During the Islanders' "Renaissance" of 2001-02 when the team posted the fourth-largest turnaround in NHL history, going from a 21-51-7-3 team in 2000-01 to a 42-28-8-4 team in 2001-02, Cronin coached the penalty kill unit that led the NHL and tied a franchise record for shorthanded goals. In his five-year tenure, he also assisted with practice management, developing forwards and scouting opponents. He coached NHL All-Stars Mark Parrish, Mike Peca, Alexei Yashin, Roman Hamrlik and Adrian Aucoin. Cronin was named head coach of the Sound Tigers in 2003-04 and guided the team to a franchise-record 98-point season by way of a 41-23-12-4 record that included a 22-game unbeaten streak. That team established six AHL records, including lowest goals against average (1.75), fewest goals against (140), best penalty kill (.907) and most shutouts at home (12). He was named head coach of the PlanetUSA team at the AHL All-Star game. In the 2004-05 season, Cronin guided the Sound Tigers to a 37-38-4-1 record although Bridgeport was playing seven rookies on a regular basis. After starting out 16-22-1-1, the team developed into a winning group, going 21-16-3-0 in the final 40 games. First-year defenseman Chris Campoli had 49 points during an All-Rookie campaign and was joined by fellow rookies Bruno Gervals and Sean Bergenheim on the Islanders in 2005-06. Northeastern All-American Jason Guerriero played in 11 games down the stretch, tallying a 1-5-6 scoring line. From 2002-05 while with the Islanders, Cronin was Director of Player Development. He oversaw the training of two-time Selke Trophy winner Michael Peca (best defensive forward), Calder Trophy winner Bryan Berard (Rookie of the Year) and Norris Trophy finalists Zdeno Chara and Eric Brewer (best all-around defenseman). In his role as Director of Player Development, Cronin created a summer curriculum for all players in the Islanders organization based on Long Island. He coordinated with strength and conditioning coaches, trainers and coaches to educate all Islanders prospects in all phases of professional hockey. When USA Hockey began the U.S. National Team Development Program in 1996, Cronin was hired along with current Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson and Bob Mancini, who is now the Director of Player Development with Edmonton Oilers, to build the program from the ground up. As Director of Player Development, Cronin designed the program's world-class training facility in Ann Arbor, Mich. and coordinated the team's strength and conditioning program. Cronin also coached the U.S. Under-18 team in 1997-98, which was the only U.S.-based team ever to play a schedule in the Ontario Hockey League. Current NHL players Adam Hall (Minnesota), David Tanabe (Carolina), Jordan Leopold (Colorado), Rick DiPietro (New York Islanders) and Andy Hilbert (Islanders) led the Under-18 team to the NAHL finals in 1998. In addition, Cronin was Associate Head Coach of USA Hockey's World Junior teams in 1996 and '97. The 1996 team won the silver medal at the World Championship in Geneva, Switzerland, which was the best finish in U.S. history. The team placed fifth the following season, marking the best back-to-back showing for the U.S. Cronin served as an assistant coach on the 1998 World Championship team that finished fifth in Helsinki, Finland. That team was captained by former Boston Bruins coach Mike Sullivan and Ted Donato, former NHL player and current head coach at Harvard. Cronin is no stranger to the collegiate ranks, nor to Hockey East, as he was assistant coach at the University of Maine from 1993-95, then served as interim head coach from December 1995 to December 1996. While interim head coach, Cronin guided Maine to a 27-14-2 record and coached the Black Bears to the Hockey East Championship game in 1996. Cronin's record with the Black Bears included a 7-1 record in exhibition games, with Maine's only loss coming to the Sweden Junior National Team. As an assistant at Maine, he was responsible for player development, game preparation and assisted in recruiting. He previously was a graduate assistant coach from 1988-90 while earning his MBA at Maine. From 1990-93, Cronin was assistant coach and recruiter at Colorado College and helped the Tigers reach the WCHA Tournament final in 1992 for the first time since 1978. He revitalized CC's recruiting efforts in Western Canada, developed players and directed the team's conditioning program. He was interim head coach at Colorado College for the first two months of the 1992-93 season. As a player, Cronin earned four varsity letters in hockey at Colby College from 1982-86. He helped the team to ECAC Div. II Final Four appearances in 1983 and 1984 and received the Most Improved Player Award in 1984 and the Coach's Award in 1986. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in History and American Studies, Cronin was hired as an assistant coach of the White Mules in 1987-88. The Cronin name is certainly familiar to Northeastern as his father, Don Cronin, was a three-year letter-winner in hockey, a 1958 Beanpot All-Tournament selection and was team captain in 1958-59. His uncle, Gerry Cronin, was also a three-year letter-winner at NU. Gerry was named Most Improved Player in New England in 1960, was a 1961 Beanpot All-Tournament selection and was team captain in 1960-61. Greg's cousin, Kerry Cronin, was a member of the great NU women's hockey teams from 1983-86. Cronin resides in Boston.