Former Anaheim Ducks Head Coach Greg Cronin takes immense pride in his responsibilities, primary among which was his dedication to the penalty kill in his four years as an Assistant Coach with the New York Islanders and five seasons as Head Coach with the Colorado Eagles. As a specific special teams’ coach, there aren’t many better feelings than a successful PK or a power play goal. Watching the opponent’s frustration because they can’t set up on the power play usually means you had a clear plan for your killers, and they followed through with their skill and execution. But it’s not easy to play down a player. It takes practice.

“The fundamental importance of repping things out is a critical part of your penalty kill’s success. Never underestimate the importance of running routes and getting in shot lanes.”

Cronin has been in the game in several roles. He was instrumental in establishing USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (USNTDP), serving as its first Director of Player Development and later as Head Coach. Cronin was also held a head coaching role in the AHL with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, achieving notable success, including a franchise-record 98-point season.

From 2005 to 2011, he was the Head Coach at Northeastern University, earning Hockey East Coach of the Year honors in 2009 after leading the team to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 15 years.

For Cronin, communication and reading teammates is crucial to every successful penalty kill. No two power plays are made equal. The other team is trying to score – your structure is trying to stop their creativity.

“Practice your push-down routes, and put partners together who compliment each other.”

Noteworthy Timestamps:

• 0:10 Developing the best PK for your team
• 4:00 Islanders PK Map
• 6:00 Stick positioning/chemistry/pressure
• 10:10 Preparing for different PPs
• 16:55 NHL game clip 1
• 21:00 NHL game clip 2
• 22:50 NHL game clip 3
• 24:24 NHL game clip 4 
• 27:15 NHL game clip 5