The Anaheim Ducks parted ways with head coach Greg Cronin on April 19, following his second season behind the Ducks’ bench.

“It’s much like the way I took the approach last time,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said when asked about the upcoming hiring process during his media availability following Cronin’s firing. “The net’s going to be cast wide. I’m not going to really eliminate any options as far as my approach to the next coach.”

Eight teams are in need of a new head coach behind their respective benches heading into the 2025-26 season, and a laundry list of available candidates with a wide range of experience are on the market.

“Am I looking for some sort of specific coach? No,” Verbeek said. “I’m going to go through the interview process and I will probe and poke and ask questions (about) certain things that I think our group needs and see how it all shakes down.

“I’m open to any type of coach at this point. I’m not shutting anything down. Now, timeline. We’re going to start the search and start to make a list immediately. 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.”

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4-26-25

Just one week later, on April 26, the first sizable news around general manager Pat Verbeek’s coaching search surfaced.

ESPN’s John Buccigross sent a cryptic post on social media of side-by-side images of controversial (to say the least) three-time Stanley Cup-winning head coach Joel Quenneville and a family of Ducks.

Nearly four hours after Buccigross’ post, James Murphy of RG Media reported that a “well-connected NHL source” told him the Ducks offered Quenneville their open head coaching job, a very surprising potential development considering Verbeek’s statements alluding to casting a wide net and being open to any coach.

“The job is his if he wants it, and I’d be stunned if he doesn’t take it,” Murphy’s source relayed to him. “I’d say it’s 99.999999 percent he becomes the next head coach in Anaheim.”

The Ducks later confirmed that Murphy’s report was false and that interviews will continue.

Roughly an hour and a half later, PHWA President Frank Seravalli from DailyFaceoff.com slightly contradicted Murphy’s report, confirming the Ducks interviewed Quenneville, but stated the team is early in their process.

“Joel Quenneville recently interviewed for the (Ducks) head coaching vacancy,” Seravalli reported on social media. “He is a strong candidate but it’s still early in the process, multiple interviews to come in Anaheim.”

4-27-25

The IIHF U18 World Championship is underway in Frisco, Texas, the final big on-ice draft event of the season. Making up most of the attendance numbers are NHL coaches, scouts, media, and family members of players.

Sean Shapiro of DLLS Sports and Elite Prospects offered an update on the Anaheim coaching search via social media.

“Chatter at U18s from some in the NHL coaching circles is that Anaheim has interviewed, but not offered the job to anyone,” Shapiro said.

Elliotte Friedman from SportsNet is one of the NHL's premier insiders. He gave his thoughts on Monday’s rendition of his “32 Thoughts” podcast.

“The way I understand it, he’s definitely a serious candidate there, and we’ll see if he ends up being the guy. But he’s definitely a serious candidate. I don’t think that’s the only team that’s interested in him.

“I think the Ducks are very serious about it from a hockey perspective. You’ve heard Pat Verbeek say that they want to make the playoffs next year, and that’s why I think he’s looking at Quenneville, and Quenneville is a possibility. And I think the two of them met face-to-face last week.

“The bottom line is the Ducks are considering him, and he is a very serious contender for their job.”

4-30-25

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on the latest installment of “The Ray & Dregs Hockey Podcast” that the Ducks are expected to interview Quenneville a second time.

“Some wanted to connect Joel Quenneville to (Rangers GM Chris) Drury because of their Colorado days,” Dreger said. “I know that Q is—he’s expected to get a second interview with the Anaheim Ducks, so we’ll see how things play out there.”

5-1-25

Pierre LeBrun from TSN, one of the NHL’s premier insiders, reported on social media that the Ducks have contacted several coaches in regards to filling their head coaching vacancy while confirming they intend to interview Quenneville a second time.

“Hearing Ducks have interviewed Jay Woodcroft,” LeBrun said. “Also hear Ducks GM Pat Verbeek recently met with David Carle. Believe Anaheim has also made contact with Mike Sullivan. As reported by others, Joel Quenneville will soon get a second interview. Other names in mix. Wide search by Ducks.”

Less than one hour later, Vince Mercogliano, who covers the New York Rangers for USA Today, reported on social media the Rangers were heading toward hiring Sullivan as their next head coach. 

"The (Rangers) haven't confirmed or announced anything officially yet, but it sounds like things are getting close and very much trending toward Mike Sullivan becoming the 38th head coach in franchise history." 

5-2-25

To make it official, early on May 2, the Rangers announced they hired Sullivan as their head coach, making him the first coaching hire of the 2025 offseason and eliminating him from contention for the Ducks' job.

Linked Names

Joel Quenneville: Quenneville (66) sits second on the NHL’s all-time wins list for head coaches with 969. He hasn’t coached a game since Oct. 28, 2021. He resigned from his position as head coach of the Florida Panthers following the results of Jenner & Block’s investigation into the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks.

David Carle: Carle (35) recently withdrew himself from the running for head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. He is possibly the most clamored-for coach on the market. Carle has coached the University of Denver to two NCAA championships and Team USA to back-to-back World Junior Championship gold medals.

Jay Woodcroft: Woodcroft (48) was relieved of his position as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers just 13 games into 2023-24 and after assuming the position in the middle of 2021-22. He has a 79-41-13 record in 133 games behind an NHL bench, and the Oilers, months after parting ways, made it to game seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

Mike Sullivan (Hired-New York Rangers): The Pittsburgh Penguins let Sullivan (57) go on April 28. He won two Stanley Cups with the Pens in 2016 and 2017 as their head coach, and his appearance on the market immediately made him one of the most desirable targets for one of the eight franchises in need.

This piece will see continued updates as new information surfaces

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Every Spring in recent memory, the Toronto Maple Leafs make the playoffs, and their fan base thinks that this could be the year. It’s hard to blame them, considering they have an excellent “Core Four” or five, but they fall short every year.

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Before Thursday night, they could only get to the second round once when they dispatched the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022-23. That year, they thought it would be for sure; not only had they made it to the second round, but the Florida Panthers had taken care of their nemesis, the Boston Bruins, in the first round.

Toronto fans went from chanting “We want Florida! We want Florida!” to lamenting yet another defeat when the Sunshine State outfit eliminated their favourite in just five games. Then, last year, they had to take on the Bruins one more time, and after Boston took a 3-1 lead, the Leafs managed to claw their way back in the series. Unfortunately, they dropped game seven 2-1 in overtime, and it was back to the drawing board.

They did not make that many changes. The Core Four stayed. They resigned Max Domi and brought in Max Pacioretty on a professional tryout contract. The former Montreal Canadiens captain won his gamble and made the team, and on Thursday night, he saved the team.

The Connecticut native was drafted 22nd overall by the Habs in the 2007 draft and spent 10 years playing for the Canadiens. He acted as captain for three seasons and scored 448 points (30th in franchise history) in 626 regular-season games. Pacioretty made the playoffs with the Canadiens four times and scored 19 points in 38 games.

The relationship with the Canadiens didn’t end well, but he will forever be remembered as the player who got the Habs their current captain, Nick Suzuki. Seven years after the trade, he’s become a cornerstone of Montreal’s team while the former captain plays for a fourth team.

For the fifth year in a row, Pacioretty struggled with injuries and could only suit up for 37 games, putting up 13 points in the regular season. In the first round series against the Ottawa Senators, he only suited up for four games in the Battle of Ontario, but he made an impact.

With the score tied at 2-2 and just over five minutes left, the former Canadiens’ captain scored the game-winning goal with assists from another Hab in Domi and Pontus Holmberg. William Nylander then sealed the deal with an empty-netter, and just like that, for the second time in three years, the Maple Leafs moved on to the second round.

MAX. PACIORETTY.@Rogers | #LeafsForeverpic.twitter.com/f14XvAE272

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 2, 2025

They’ll now be taking on the Canadiens’ first-round opponent, the Washington Capitals, and it will be interesting to see how the Leafs’ skilled forwards react to the Caps' tough, punishing brand of hockey. Will Pacioretty remain in the top six alongside John Tavares and Nylander? Time and Craig Berube will tell.

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It didn't take long for Mike Sullivan to find work. The New York Rangers announced Sullivan as the team's next head coach Friday.

The move comes just days after the two-time Stanley Cup champion was fired by the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Sullivan joins a Rangers team looking to bounce back after falling short of expectations last season. After making it to the conference finals during the 2023-24 season, the Rangers failed to make the playoffs this year. A second-half swoon was the culprit, as New York went 8-13 down the stretch. The collapse resulted in the team firing Peter Laviolette, opening the door for Sullivan to enter the fold.

It will be Sullivan's third stint with the Rangers. He served as an assistant with the team two separate times — 2009-10 and 2012-13 — while in between head-coaching roles. Sullivan was also drafted by the team in 1987, though opted to return to college. He never played for the Rangers.

After an 11-year playing career in the NHL, Sullivan transitioned into coaching. His star rose quickly, and he was hired by the Boston Bruins just a few years after retiring. He spent two seasons with Boston, putting up a 70-56-15 record. 

Sullivan then bounced around to various teams as an assistant while he waited for his next head-coaching opportunity. He spent time as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Rangers and Vancouver Canucks before becoming a development coach with the Chicago Blackhawks for the 2014-15 NHL season.

The following year, Sullivan was hired by the Penguins, where he immediately experienced success. The Penguins won the Stanley Cup the first two years of Sullivan's tenure. In 10 seasons with the team, he compiled a 409-255 record. He is the winningest head coach in Penguins history.

While the Penguins continued to have strong seasons under Sullivan, the team became known for its early playoff exits. After going 34-36 last season, the Penguins fired Sullivan in April. It was the first time in his Penguins tenure that the team finished under .500.

Given his success in Pittsburgh, Sullivan was expected to garner plenty of interest once he became a free agent. The Rangers jumped at the chance to bring Sullivan back, and will hope he can get the franchise back on track after a disappointing year. 

The AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Rockford IceHogs, advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs with a 2-0 sweep over the Chicago Wolves. Thanks to some outstanding Blackhawks prospects playing in the AHL, this IceHogs team has the talent to make a run. 

On Thursday, they began their next series on the road against the Milwaukee Admirals. Milwaukee is the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators. They won the Central Division with a record of 40-21-5 (91 points), so the IceHogs are being presented with a challenge in this series. 

At the start of Game One, the Admirals looked every bit like the team that dominated the regular season. After no scoring in the first period, Milwaukee came out firing in the second. Before a minute passed in the middle frame, the Admirals had a 2-0 lead thanks to two goals in 15 seconds. Being outshot 14-5 and outscored 2-0 didn’t look good. 

However, Rockford didn’t think they were out of it for one second. In the third period, they found a way to get it tied. Just after the halfway point of the final frame, Paul Ludwinski put the IceHogs on the board. Under five minutes later, Gerry Mayhew evened it up. 

Overtime was needed to decide this intense game. Of course, the Blackhawks would love to see one of the call-ups make an impact. They got their wish when Colton Dach scored the winner just :12 into the extra frame. The brilliant shot put Rockford up 1-0 in the best-of-five series. 

Kevin Korchinski, who has been good in the playoffs so far, assisted on the goal, which is another call-up contribution. These guys, along with the veterans, all need to be on top of their game if they want to continue this run. 

Rockford’s next playoff game will again be in Milwaukee as they look to take a 2-0 lead. This match will occur on Saturday at 6 PM CT. 

It isn’t every year that an NHL franchise can expect its AHL affiliate to make a run in the Calder Cup Playoffs. It happens when a great farm system turns a bunch of players pro at the same time, and solid veterans complement them. Through one game of the second round, things are trending up.

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